Cypress

In between Christmas and New Years, Patrik, Malin and Anna took the chance to head up to Cypress for a bit of cross country skiing. It was so great to be able to share one of our favourite places to spend time with Malin.




They put the stjärtlappar to use in the way that they are meant to be used.



And spent some time between the leaning walls and crooked floors of the lodge.


They arrived home rosy-cheeked and with smiles on their faces, with more sweet memories to cherish.

New Years

Like last year, we spent the new years weekend in Whistler again this year. Curt, Kate and the boys joined us for the first couple of days, and despite colds and a lack of sleep due to the kids not sleeping well, we had a really nice time. On the way up, we stopped at Callaghan for some cross country skiing, and it was the best conditions that Patrik and I have ever skied in up there. Beautiful bluebird skies and snow that crunched under our skis. What a day.


It started well too, because Anna asked to ski, which is like music to her pappa's ears.

The skiing in Whistler was great too, especially because the weather was fantastic, and so you could see forever. Malin and Patrik got lucky and got to ride in one of the glass bottomed gondolas on the new peak to peak gondola between Whistler and Blackcomb (though I don't think that Malin's fear of heights meant that that felt too lucky for her...)




And we had good food and great company at the townhouse we rented.




The kids rode on "stjärtlapparna" that Anna was given by Malin for Christmas, and they even worked inside.


William and Anna cozied up for some breakfast viewings of "Kipper",


and Anna cozied up the Curt for some viewings of "froggy".


Malin spent a bit of time doing something she probably has zero time to do at home - read!


And we had some nice wanders through Whistler Village, soaking up the winter atmosphere.



On the way home we stopped at the gorgeous Tantalus Range view point, to stretch our legs and take in the view.



It was great to ring in the new year with good friends and family. 2011 is going to be a great year - I feel it in my bones.

Mt. Washington

Malin was our good luck charm when it came to snow and skiing over the holidays, and it started with a bang on Mt. Washington on Boxing Day. It had snowed 238 cm in the 48 hours before we arrived, and that very day it was all over the news that Mt. Washington had the deepest snow base of any ski mountain in the world. That's right, the world. And we were there...

The day started with more snow coming down.


But, we skied in this for the afternoon.


Patrik tested out his helmet camera that he got for Christmas for the first time, and despite the poor visibility in the morning, we got some great footage. This camera is going to be so much fun, and just think, I'll now get to see the events leading up to all of the injuries that Patrik comes home with...



I'll let the photos and video speak for themselves.

Christmas

Just a few hours after I arrived home from my few days with the girls, Malin's plane touched down in Vancouver, something that we had been looking forward to for months. For two whole weeks we had had her to ourselves, and it was wonderful!


She had not even been with us for 24 hours when we jumped in the truck to head over to Nanaimo for Christmas. We spent Christmas Eve at Josefin and Tim's house (or as Anna would say, Bella's house), with mormor, morfar, Suzi, Marcus and the kids.






We had a new santa this year, and he did an excellent job.



One of the first things that santa delivered were these sweet little hats for the girls. He hired mormor as his elf, it seems.


Speaking of being crafty, Annika opened up this gift of a beautiful 'handmade-by-mamma' doll with her own little portable bed. Anna and Bella took turns borrowing it when they could.

Anna also received some handmades by Suzi that went along with this kitchen that has quickly become a focal point at our house, and in which we have many tea parties to which Suzi and Marcus are almost always invited.


Dinner time had the kids at their own table, though it took some convincing to get Lukas to sit at Bell's princess table. Not. Very. Cool.


Dinner was about the last time for the rest of the evening that we saw any clothes on the girls. Anna started the trend, tugging at her clothes and ordering us to "take off", but the other two girls quickly followed suit. They had a lot of fun together, colouring...


and playing doctor.


It was a great Christmas, made all the better for Malin's company.

Halcyon Hotsprings

In the few days before Christmas, as a kind of calm in the middle of the storm, I headed off for 3 days to Halcyon Hotsprings, to celebrate my good friend Kim's 40th birthday. Starting with a taxi, then a flight, a shuttle bus, and then a ride, some 11 hours after leaving home I arrived at the beautiful hotsprings just north of Nakusp, BC. And it was so worth it!



Kim and Miranda and I have been friends since university, some 17 or so years, but we are spread out across the province and so it is not nearly often enough that we get to spend time together. Kim's birthday was the perfect excuse to make it happen, and I enjoyed every minute of it.

Both Kim and Miranda came with their families, including Kim's parents, and so we had some great meals together and time with the kids. It was odd being without Anna and Patrik, but it gave me a chance to be 'auntie' to the boys.


I had a cozy little cabin all to myself, which meant that us girls had a place to carve out a little time all to ourselves in the evening.


There's nothing like a few days with close friends to warm the soul, and put a smile on your face. And the memories will warm for a long time to come.

Port Kids Christmas Party

It's time to play a little bit of blog catch up. It's been a busy month full of lots of fun and adventure, but not full of a lot of time left over for blogging - so, here we go!


The Port's annual kids Christmas party was held on the weekend before Christmas, and as always, it was a skating party followed by crafts, lunch, presents and santa. As last year, santa was not too popular with Anna again this year. To say the least.


Anna's eyes followed santa all around the room, and as long she didn't have to get too near him, she was fascinated.

But, the rest of the party was a great time. A bit of time on the ice...




and some crafting involving stickers, and stickers are always a hit with Anna.



It was a nice time with friends and colleagues, and a good start to a busy Christmas week.