Chrismas Newsletter 2014

Kate and Colin sent out a Newsletter for Christmas and it is a treasure!

What?! What do you mean another year has come and gone?! Someone turn off the warp speed! Even my son is now saying that time is whizzing by (at the ripe old age of 17  ). Even though it was over in the blink of an eye, it’s been a great year, gifting our family with fond new memories and appreciation for the precious things in life.

Road Trip!

In March, our family went on a roadtrip! Colin, the kids and I packed into the Sentra and headed south to visit Colin’s sister, Kim, in Nevada. What a trip! We saw Reno, Lake Tahoe, Vegas, The Hoover Dam, The Grand Canyon, the Grand Canyon Caves, and the Mormon Tabernacle in Salt Lake City. The kids thought it was awesome, and Colin and I loved having that much uninterrupted time with the kids. I think road trips are my favourite way to vacation with the family :-) The National Automobile Museum in Reno was definitely one of the highlights of the trip. If you haven’t been there, it’s well worth the journey. They have over 200 vehicles in mint condition, including rare and one-of-a-kind beauties, most from the late Bill Harrah’s collection.

I’ve heard much about Lake Tahoe, but seeing it is something else! It is a pristine area, surrounded by majestic trees and gorgeous Whistler-ish communities. Of course, Vegas is a blast! This was the first time that both Colin and the kids experienced it, so there were many ooh’s and aaah’s over the architecture and grandiosity. We saw the Blue Man Group one night…hilarious!

But beyond all of that and more amazing than we could have hoped for, was the Grand Canyon.

Growing Up

In March, we also celebrated Paul’s 17th birthday. He and Colin have spent the year working on an old Jeep Comanche that they resurrected out of my in-laws’ backyard. It took many months, many parts, and many of Paul’s paycheques, but they finally got it running…just in time for Paul to take it 4×4’ing and destroy the front axle. Teenagers… Well, he enjoyed it while it lasted. Anyone want to buy a fixer upper?

Paul is still working at the Hardbite Potate Chip Factory and getting as many hours as he can fit in between his classes. There’s something satisfying about seeing your child become gainfully employed  Next year Paul will graduate from highschool…and a whole new chapter begins.

New Tables…Finally

Colin and I have never been the ones to buy a lot of new furniture for our home. We’re just as happy to take other people’s hand-me-downs. But I think the cardboard boxes and 20 year old bleached oak/tile tables that we were using in the living room for the last many years finally became more than we (and our guests) could handle. So we FINALLY bought new living room furniture. Very West Coast and minimalist…we’re in love.

RCA

For the last year, Colin has been flying remote controlled aircraft (RCA) with a lcoal association that has a flying field in Mission. This has been great fun! Unfortunately, it also means that the front den of our house has been transformed into some kind of RCA ‘hangar’ of types…with crap everywhere! Colin likes to build his RCA from scratch using foamcore, packing tape, and a bunch of tiny little gizmos and gadgets that can’t cost much because they’re really small….right? Anyways, if you want to go flying with him sometime, give him a call! But beware…it’s really addictive!

Riding  Lessons

Sarah has continued with her riding lessons. This year, she switched to a new stable called Seabrook Stables, with a new coach, Carla. The good news is that Carla is AWESOME and Sarah is really good at riding and jumping. The bad news is that I may need to sell Paul in order to pay for the darn lessons! Oy vey!

The Cabin

We had some great trips to the cabin this year, with many firsts. Sarah had her first trip to the cabin with a friend (thanks for joining us Nat!); we had our first trip with my brother Flynn and his girls (Olivia and Sophia); and we finally started building a deck! Oh, and we have furniture, thanks to my brother Sean and his wife Sheila who moved onto a boat and needed to find a new home for most of their stuff. This cabin is seriously becoming livable! It will soon be time to set up a google calendar for family to book this place because it’s soon going to be the place to be.

Join  Us  on  a Cruise!

I remember many years ago, helping friends plan their parents’ 25th wedding anniversary party. Do you know what I remember most about that party? How OLD my friend’s parents were! Well payback is here, ladies and gentlemen! Colin and I are celebrating our silver anniversary on April 28, 2015. We’ve had some good chuckles this year realizing that we’re old enough to say that.

In celebration, we’re going on a short cruise…and we want you to come!! We can’t think of a better way to celebrate than to be surrounded by our friends and family as we toast our first 25 years together, and welcome the next 25!
Here are the details:

4-Day Alaska Cruise aboard the Coral Princess
May 2 – 6, 2015 Round Trip from Vancouver

You’ll have your days to yourself, and then we’ll meet as a group each evening in the dining room for dinner and laughs. Give us a call if you’re interested!

We have been blessed with another year of good health, good jobs, the opportunity to travel, and precious times with family. Amidst the busy-ness and controlled chaos that seems to be the standard of our lives right now, I take time to pause and reflect…and to be thankful for the bounty in our lives, including you!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Years

from our family to yours.

May you be richly blessed this coming year.

Kate, Colin, Paul and Sarah