ladies and gentlemen, this is going to be epic

I'm just going to go ahead and pretend that it hasn't been who knows how long since I blogged.


Now that I have your attention, I have some sad news. This post is a random update of Christmas for the posterity and all. And the worst part? I have pics from about 3 days worth of 2 party weeks. Sorry Steed family, not a single pic . Sometimes my dad is a little too good at taking pictures. Maybe he'll read this and email me a few...

(yep, chistmas day with no coats, beautiful!)

We had a great time this year. Parties and playing and eating, that is what we do! And as a bonus this year finishing renos and moving! Wahoo, that was fun. It worked out quite nice having a few brothers and brother inlaws to move some big stuff faster than I could have with Derek. (though whenever Derek would try and take a large box to carry for me I would be like, ummmm, no no, do you see how ripped I am?) and a very kind sis in law who helped with the cleaning and painting and other sis/inlaws/grands to help with the children. So a big thanks to them.

(here's the sewing i was talking about. i sewed a sleeping bag, it was kind of a big deal. everyone else sewed oh 3 or 4 or who knows how many. but i completed one, and james got derek's old one)

Christmas always includes plenty of Hicken/Baldry festivities. The freezing hayride the Monday before Christmas, 14 or so cousin parties, a baby shower, new years eve, grandma's band dance all those just with Derek's cousins, I love it all, he has a great fam.

(grandma and grandpa hicken)

(baldry cousins, 2 more on the way this year!)

We spent Christmas in Mountain View with the Baldry's, it was the best! We had amazing weather and fun stuff to do thanks to uncle Luke with the snowmobiles and quads. We stayed at this great big place with enough room for all 36 of us! I would do it again in a second.

(i may not be in any sledding pics, but i was the last to leave the hill, it was so so so much fun. I can be quite the riot when i'm not cold)

Then we had swimming and bowling and more playing with my family. All the while Derek (and me too sometimes!) working at all hours getting everything ready for the MOVE! The thought of moving is always more stressful than actually doing it. I mean it sucks, but hello...worth it.

(a little drummer boy for the christmas eve program)

New years day we slept at our very own house, what a great way to ring in the new year!

OK, that was rushed and boring, but it had to be done. And if you made it to the end, you can see my fav picture right now. So blurry but so cute!