Merry Christmas!!

Well I thought I'd try something new this year. Instead of writing and printing a letter and just have people throw it out after they're done reading it, I thought since I'm on the computer updating my blog anyway, I just write out our annual update on here and everyone could check it out and no trees would be killed in the process! Please leave a comment at the end of the post and you do that by just clicking on the comment link at the bottom of the post! This way we know who took the time to read our update!! Alright, on with the update!

It's been another great year here in Nevada! We survived our first full summer and didn't melt! Our candles did, but we didn't!! Having the pool outside sure helped cool us off on the hot days and the girls loved it! Chris was our "pool guy" and was very faithful in keeping it clean and free of the few bugs we got! It was mostly the sand we fought with!

We made it back to Canada (Snow Lake) for the towns 60th Anniversary and July 1st. This was the first time we had been back since we moved so it was great to see friends and family! It was a 32 hour drive and the girls did awesome! We brought Michelle's mom up with us so it was nice to have another driver and someone to keep the girls entertained! We stayed in Snow Lake for about a week then headed down to Winnipeg for a wedding and to visit with Michelle's siblings one last time! After that, we started making our way back home with a few stops along the way. We took the opportunity to head all the way down to South Dakota and see Mount Rushmore!! As Alyssa had just learned about this at the end of first grade, she was the most excited to see it! We all had a great time and spent the day checking out all the sites around the area. In August, Michelle, the girls and her mom made another quick trip up to Calgary for her cousins wedding and were able to see some more family! Another great time filled with laughter. There will be some more weddings for us in the near future! Chris' sister Jana is getting married in August 2008 and Michelle's brother Robbie will also be getting married in February 2009! We are very excited to be adding Jason and Ashley to our family!

Chris has been hard at work! Continuing to learn new things and increasing his experience as a mechanic at the open pit mine. He's been meeting some new friends but enjoys most of his time at home tinkering around the yard! He finally got grass growing in the front yard (when we moved in last August, there was none) and built a deck in the back yard. In April he was able to go to NASCAR in Las Vegas and he enjoyed that. Still boring live as it is on tv but there was a few more things for him to do to pass the time!

Michelle has been doing great! This year she realized, was the year to get her butt in shape...literally! To date, she's lost close 50 pounds!! This was done by making a few lifestyle changes like cutting back on sugar and carbs. She started walking and taking aerobic classes. Taking these classes also opened the door for her to be the back up aerobics instructor and now has her own class on Friday mornings! She also teaches a Kid Fit class twice a week. Michelle also has started to clean houses on the side. Her mom was the first one to ask for her assistance as she had started a full time job. She quickly spread the word that Michelle was cleaning for her and 3 of her co workers asked if she would do the same. So for 3 days a week, a few hours each time, Michelle has got herself a nice little part time job. She's home when Alyssa gets home from school and take Brooklyn with her if Chris is at work. There is lots of opportunity for her to take on more houses but between aerobic classes and staying still quite involved in the church, she has just enough to keep her busy!

Alyssa, now 7, has been doing awesome! She's in second grade this year and is loving it. She's doing so well that she's being challenged with some third grade math and reading at a fourth grade level! We are all very proud of her! We'll see how long her love for school lasts! This year she's been staying busy with Brownies and Kids Club that our church runs. She also has started horse riding lessons and LOVES it! Through a friend at our church,we have a found a wonderful teacher for her that allows Alyssa to use her horse and all the necessary equipment! She goes out once a week for about an hour and a half and has a great time! She's learning all the proper care of a horse too. Lately, she has learned to lope with Bud (the horse she rides) and you can see a couple short video clips of her riding on a previous post called "She's come so Far!"

Brooklyn who is now 4 is well.....Brooklyn!! She is quite the character these days. She brings us so much laughter with her antics! She attends preschool at the daycare 3 days a week for 2 hours in the mornings. She really enjoys this and has just recently been moved up to the "big girl preschool". This is a little more geared towards kindergarten preparation. So far she's been doing great. We'll see next fall if she's ready for school! Most days, Brooklyn is content to follow her mom around to all her various activities. She enjoys her time playing in her room by herself, listening to music and cutting her own hair or Dora's! Twice now, she has cut her hair!! You know when it's quiet, she's doing something she shouldn't be!! Brooklyn is also our most accident prone child. Nothing too major...yet! But she has had her fair share of bumps on the head and cuts on the knees! She also enjoys playing Wii against her sister and dad but gets upset when Aly makes her loose!!

Well, I think that's a pretty general update for our family this year! Please check out any of the previous posts for more pictures and details about our life here in Nevada. And always check back! We try and keep our blog updated so people can know what's going on with us. We hope this holiday season brings you much joy and happiness! All our best in the new year!

Lots of love from Chris, Michelle, Alyssa and Brooklyn!