Merry Christmas and welcome to my 2011 Christmas letter.
In January, we joined my parents and sister’s family on a trip to Hawaii. This was my first trip there. Scott acted as tour leader and made sure we made the most of our time. We enjoyed swimming, walks along the beach boardwalk, BBQing at the condo, dining on the balcony, visiting the aquarium and going to a luau, and the snorkeling excursion.
In February, the most popular phrase in our household was “What’s That?”. These were Olivia’s first words and she still says this a lot, even when she knows what something is. On the plus side, it makes it quite easy to have a conversion with her.
In March, we settled into a routine of activities. Olivia and I kept busy with music class, playgroup and swimming lessons; like the rest of her family Olivia is a natural in the pool.
In April , we had a couple of celebrations at our household. First was Olivia’s birthday. She had a fun time visiting the tulip fields, trying out her new toys and of course getting to eat cake. Then at Easter, all of Scott’s daughters were able to spend the weekend with us, and we held the first annual Simmons Kinect bowling tournament right in our own living room. It came down to patriarch Scott narrowly edging out Colleen in the finals. Everyone is looking forward to a rematch next year.
In May, Scott and I introduced Olivia to one of our favourite Danish past times, cycling. One of her birthday presents was a bike chariot that you pull behind your bike. She really enjoyed it and we look forward to exploring more trails around Washington state next summer.
In June, we had some more family visits. My sister came with her three kids and then later my parents arrived to assist us with the move to Redmond.
In July, I returned to Winnipeg for the first time in two years. It was the first opportunity for many of my friends and relatives, including Great Grandma Patmore, to meet Olivia. Scott got a great first impression of Winnipeg, as 2011 was probably the best all round summer conditions the city has ever experienced. Consistently warm temperatures, no rain and, best of all, no mosquitoes. The one sad thing was that our family’s summer cottage at Delta, that we had been going to for over 35 years, was destroyed by a storm and high water levels in May.
In August, Olivia and I got to meet more of Scott’s family. We had a visit from Scott’s dad and we spent a week at Scott’s sister’s cabin which is on a little island just off of Vancouver island. Here we discovered how to get Olivia (the baby that never sleeps), to nap; she couldn’t last more than about five minutes riding in a boat before she was fast asleep.
In September, fall arrived and we got back into activities, mom and baby aquacizes, music, and jogging. Olivia continues to grow and develop, talking more and more all the time. She knows many words but specializes in animals, animal sounds and commands.
The warm weather continued October, which allowed for more biking and walks. Olivia enjoys both walks in the stroller and walking on her own on her favourite trail, especially when there is lots of her favourite animal, dogs.
In November, Scott, Olivia and I celebrated the American Thanksgiving weekend with my sister’s family in Vancouver. With Scott as head chef and me as sous chef we prepared a full American Thanksgiving meal that was enjoyed by all. Olivia and I stayed on a few days longer so Olivia could spend more time with her cousins. The four of them together make for quite an exciting time.
As December arrives we look forward to the traditional Christmas Eve fondue and opening presents with all the little ones. We wish you all a safe and Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
