I am finally getting around to posting some pictures from our wonderful white Christmas in Ontario. We spent 2.5 weeks with Steve's family, and were so thankful to get lots of snow while we were there. As we landed in Toronto, there were huge snowflakes blowing past the windows, and snowplows and dump trucks scurrying around the runways, and both kids got huge smiles and were so thrilled.
Grandma and Grandpa with the grandkids just after Christmas.
Madeleine and Auntie Julie in the snowy backyard.
One of our rare family pictures!
Madeleine and Ross both loved being in the snow. We were a bit worried that living in California would have softened them to the cold temperatures, but they were as hardy as we could have hoped and lasted for hours outside.
Ross especially loved shoveling and looked for any chance to do a bit more...
While Madeleine was sledding off the deck with cousins Caleb and Brody, Daddy and Ross were building an igloo, at Ross's request.
Cookie decorating with Grandma and cousins...
And of course a visit to the local John Deere dealership with Grandpa Don. These kids know their farm equipment!
Lots of snowman-building with Uncle Chris...
Lots of cousin time and Christmas presents...
And there was definitely lots of ice skating! We took advantage of the free skate sessions on Tuesday and Thursday mornings at the local rink, and both kids quickly became very comfortable on the ice. They loved having the metal bars to practice with (our Oakland ice rink does not have any helper-devices), and having the whole rink to themselves a lot of the time was also a treat.
Madeleine is careful and cautious, but confident and eager to go by herself even if it means going more slowly. Ross has proclaimed that "faster is funner!" and loves furiously zooming around the rink with Daddy's help, or the metal bars.
Another highlight was the neighbour's sharing their outdoor rink with us - they worked on making it really smooth and by the end of our visit it had gotten cold enough that we were able to give it a try. Madeleine, Ross, Caleb, Brody, Steve, Chris, and Grandpa Don all got out there with sticks and nets and played a bit of hockey. The kids (and adults) loved it!
We had so many wonderful times with family, and are so grateful that we had such a long visit with everyone. It had been over seven years since we spent a Christmas there, and obviously the kids first Christmas in Ontario, so it was memorable for all of us.
