Best of 2011

I only began this little blog in July 2011, and I think it's the best project I've taken on this year.

It forces me to reflect on our family accomplishments, and highlight the fun and human tales of our family adventure. 

It keeps me positive. 

And, perhaps most importantly, it keeps me feeling connected.

I'm so glad you've been reading along and leaving comments from time to time.

I think most of you are family and friends, but the circle might have grown a wee bit. 
And, if so, welcome to my crazy version of reality!

So, here is a recap of the most popular blog posts YOU'VE read this year.

... 5

So beginning the top 5 countdown, you've clicked on my experience begin duct taped to the wall a record number of times! 

Thanks, for supporting your Fly on the Wall.

... 4
The girls' first day of school took the 4th most popular position.

Highlights were Ponies, Play Dough, Kitchen and Books.

... 3
Our visit in Edmonton, when Eli's brother's family-- by some wonderful  and lucky twist of fate-- was able to join us for a whole day of Family Fun was the third most popular post.  It was a highlight of our year, too.

... 2

Nana's Acadian Meat Pies was my second most read blog post.

Mmmm.... I don't blame you one bit!

... 1

Celebrating my Nana was the most read blog post I've created this year. 

You've collectively clicked on it over 200 times! 

I think she would have been so touched that so many of you wanted to read about her life.

Now, most people clicked on our adventures as we travelled across the country from Halifax to Yellowknife. 

It really has been our biggest family adventure yet.

UPDATE!!
I have created a NEW PAGE which is always at the top of the blog called Yellowknife or Bust. 
You can click on this tab, and I have collected all of the posts about our two-week trip.

Careening Down a Hill

Nothing quite says "Canadian Winter" like careening down a hill, does it?

Ah, yes.

I remember dragging sleds, and (if we were thoughtful and lucky) hot chocolate in a thermos to England's Hollow in Miramichi.

England's Hollow is the site of an old shipbuilding yard from the tall ships era of early Miramichi history. 

Did you know that the sister ship to the Marco Polo was built there??

It's a natural cove, with steep and gentle slopes.

Awesome for sliding!

Even more awesome would be if a parent showed up after several hours of sliding fun to drive everyone home.

Walking home after a day of sliding made your feet feel like rubber.

This nice sliding park in Yellowknife, which Lena directed us to, is called Parker Park and it has a perfect sized hill for sliding.

It's high and steep enough to give you speed. 

We all have the need for speed.

Maybe, even, especially daddies.

It's also small enough that the girls can scale it on their own.

The little bum scooters were easy for them to carry back up.

They only needed some help from us to carry the GT sleds back up.

We all had a wonderful time. 

With our snowsuits and parkas, we were quite comfortable in the "mild" temperatures. 

"Only" -20!

They were determined little sliders, woo-hoo-ing it all the way down the hill, and scurrying back up lickety split!

Red rosy cheeks declared our afternoon outing a success!

Bundle up!  It's chilly out there!

Six Years Ago

Six years ago, it was a beautiful sunny winter morning in Miramichi.

I left the cabins early to pick up flowers, because I was getting married that day!

We got nailed with 90 cm of snow in the days leading up to the wedding.

There were some eventful travels to our wedding site.

Yup.  That's snow New Brunswick-style, baby. 

The evening before, at the rehearsal, I started laughing.

Literary individuals would call this "foreshadowing." 

We had a delicious rehearsal dinner at the Cunard.

Yum. 

I wore my cowboy boots to my wedding.

What?

There was snow!

It was festive, and fun, and the best party.

Remember the foreshadowing picture above? 

I busted a gut laughing during our vows.

I do that.

It's true. 

But, don't worry, I pulled myself together.

We danced.

I kept on laughing. 

We all danced.  And laughed.

  It was a memorable party. 

And, I'm so glad we chose to begin our family's life with a good old fashioned East coast par-tay.

Happy anniversary, Eli!

It was a wonderful day.  And, it's a wonderful life.

Best decision Eli ever made.

*wink* 

A Handmade Christmas

Some years, I am really great at rolling out the handmade, meaningful Christmas gifts, and other years, I just have less time.

Some years, time works against you.

This year, I made Eli's family their annual calendar. 

I designed and ordered it early early early. 

And it arrived in Yellowknife late late late. 

So, they will be in your mailboxes early 2012.

Sorry.

Now, also early early early, the girls are I were out shopping in the craft supply section, which is where we almost always end up.

They found large wooden letters.

Naturally, they found G and A,

but we already have a large G and A in their bedrooms (2010).

Last October (2010) they designed these button letters for their bedrooms. 

The girls loved doing this craft (2010).

So, at the store, they found N and P for Nanny and Papa and wanted to make them presents.

At home, I took out the acrylic paints, and the girls got to work. 

They made beautiful patterns on the letters. 

They had fun with the colours. 

But, eventually the girls were most satisfied in swirling the colours together. 

Proud painters. 

They covered the edges very well indeed.

The next day, when the paint was dry, we added some bling to the letters.

They are see-through "jewels" like those you might use in a fish tank or at the bottom of a glass vase for flowers.

In the mail, and especially-- I think-- due to the cold weather, some of the "jewels" fell off in the mail. 

Luckily, Papa has a glue gun and restored the letters to their intended state upon arrival in New Brunswick.

The girls each printed their names on the back.

Miss G put their ages.

I printed the year.

Now, Daddy's present is entirely different.

I totally took this idea from Pink and Green Mama's Back Massage T-Shirt idea.

But, of course, we put our own spin on it.

With the girls' guidance, I helped them to draw the basic structure of "Daddyville," and they did the colouring and additional artistic details (including the people... Daddy with Miss G and Mommy with Miss A), all with permanent fabric markers.

There are two lakes. 

The one at the top is the beach lake,

and the one at the bottom is Daddy's fishing lake (his car is parked there with his blue boat). 

Miss A wanted a jellyfish and a whale in the lake.

Our house in Daddyville is red with a star. 

This was Miss G's idea; she added the "shining" lines.

Nanny and Papa live in the green house, and Gramma and Grampum live in the yellow house.

There is a bridge over a river (like the Miramichi bridge), and footprints after the bridge to the trees.

There is a red school with a playground, and the chocolate egg store (our grocery store) with giant eggs on top.

There are big rocks at one end of the road, and two cul-de-sacs, like the court we live on now.

On the front, the girls put their hand prints with acrylic paint, and printed their names (the heart stickers are blocking that detail out).

Truly, Daddy love his girls' handmade t-shirts, and he wears them all the time.

He likes to show them off.

He put this one on right away, and Christmas evening, the girls gave Daddy his first back massage by driving cars along the roads in Daddyville.