"Skating" with the Wrigglesworths and Hollidays

The Wrigglesworths are back in Calgary, with a new addition: "Libby"! We were so happy to spend some time with them today, for "brunch" and then a walk/skate at Bowness Lagoon with the kids. Here's a group shot:

27 Week "Photo Shoot"

Last weekend, our good friend Marc Binkley took some great "couple" photos of Dave and I and the "belly"...While we still have a few good months left before her impending arrival (due date = May 29th), we thought this was a good opportunity to get some photos together--not really knowing what the next few months will bring! We will plan to get more photos done closer to the due date if possible...

Whitefish weekend with Barrie/Dad Brewin

We were delighted to have Dad/Barrie visiting last weekend, and joining us for another great weekend in Montana. We stayed once again at a rental property on the Whitefish ski hill with a large group of friends: the Gaffneys, Harmans, Binkleys, and Budi. It was a great weekend, with so much snow that we ended up extending our stay in Fernie BC on the way back, awaiting the road through Crowsnest Pass to reopen.

Barrie and I (Beth) took our snowshoes out to explore the Whitefish mountain: a beautiful pristine way to enjoy the winter weather!

Fernie weekend

We've been laying low for the past few weeks here in Calgary, enjoying spending time with friends, and each other, working on our "hobbies", and resting and relaxing. This past weekend we were off to one of our favourite getaways: Fernie BC, with friends Dave and Shandra Harman (and baby Alex), Crystal and Marc Binkley (and baby Kenyon), Rob Budianto, and Karlie and Mike Krenklehorn. According to the diehard skiers, this weekend was one of the all-time best for great skiing--we always seem to have good luck with Fernie!

We have a few more getaway weekends planned for February--heading to Eureka and Whitefish Montana. It's always so nice to enjoy winter by spending time in the mountains!!

Christmas photos: New Years

We celebrated New Years in Toronto at the Schultz's with a beautiful catered dinner with great friends!!

Christmas photos: Jackson Christmas

We spent the Jackson Christmas in Bobcaygeon: a beautiful winter wonderland!!Mom and Dad show off their tree (with lots of presents for the grandkids!!)
Janet and Dave explore the frozen lake with the boys
Cuddling with Nadine

Merry Christmas to all...

We've had a busy but really fun few days of visiting here in Ontario:

First, we spent a few days in Burlington with Dave's sister Tara and her family: husband Jay, daughter Chloe, and two "step-daughters" Ellie and Hannah, as well as Mom and Dad Brewin (of course). It was our first time spending more than a few hours with the girls (Hannah and Ellie) and we had a great time getting to know each other--very lovely, sweet, well-behaved and quick-to-warm-up kids!! Chloe is getting bigger all the time, and seems to just get cuter as she grows! Tara and Jay have a wonderful home and were gracious enough to host all of us from the 21-26th. I managed to fit in a brief visit with my oldest and dearest friends: Skye, Lara and Lindsey while we were in Burlington. It's amazing to see how much our lives have changed over the years, yet we are still able to maintain such an easy and fun friendship.

We headed up to Bobcaygeon on the 26th for some time with the Jackson/Marchildon clans--our nephews Malcolm, Charlie and Westley, and nieces Nadine and Kaiya, as well as all of the adults (Joel and Janet, Amy and Jay and Mom and Dad Jackson). It has been so fun watching the children delight in the magic of Christmas: opening presents, playing in the snow, and playing with each other and Uncle Dave!! While we don't get to see them often enough, our visits always feel special and fun (although busy!).

We will be celebrating New Year's with our old "Toronto" friends at Karen and Blair's home in Toronto. We are looking forward to some time to catch up and enjoy our old "stomping grounds".

We are also excited to announce that we are expecting another little Baby Brewin in the end of May--we just had an ultrasound last week that confirmed she is a girl, and we are in the process of talking about names and nurseries, and all the fun that goes along with planning for a baby. Since we've been through some of these early stages already, we are taking things slow and "cautiously", but are hopeful and optimistic that this will be an entirely different experience. Luckily we have many friends and family members with new babies (girls too!) so we are looking forward to hand-me-downs and words of wisdom from the "experts".

We hope this season finds you happy and healthy as well, and enjoying time with family and friends in the true spirit of the season.

Merry Christmas to all...(... and to all a Good night!)

Christmas photos: Brewin Christmas

"Granddad" Barrie with Ellie
Uncle Dave with baby Chloe
Granny and Granddad Brewin

Banff Birthday

We spent my birthday in Banff for the day: brunch at the Fairmont Banff Springs, followed by a crisp but beautiful walk around Johnson Lake. It's always so great to get into the mountains, especially this time of year when everything is so beautiful!! :)

Dave's Birthday

For Dave's Birthday, we were joined by friends for a day of Laser Tag, followed by a sushi dinner and then cake and UFC back at our house. Thanks everyone for helping to make Dave's birthday so special! :)

The Garage

Dave's latest project has been finishing the ceiling in our garage: since we've moved in, it has been a bit of a mess of old insulation, poorly put together roof tressles/joists, and just generally a bit of an eyesore. Here is the finished product--all cleaned up, and with "attic access" for storage--nice job! :)

So much SNOW!!

This past week, we've had crazy amounts of snow in Calgary! It has been snowing for almost 5 days straight! The new road clearing system seems to be doing a good job of keeping the roads clear this year, but driving anywhere is still pretty slow and sometimes treacherous--one of the downfalls of working in an "Outreach" job where a lot of my day is spent on the road!!

Nonetheless, there are still many great things about the snow--it sure looks beautiful, especially at night, and there is something so peaceful about the soft crunching of snow under your feet, when the rest of the city's sounds are muffled by the blanket of snow covering everything!

And of course, the ski/snowboard crowd are all getting excited--I think we will wait a few more weeks before we head out to the mountains!

Visit with KT and Blair

Our good friends Karen and Blair Schultz spent the weekend in Calgary, enjoying a visit that involved lots of chatting, eating (!!) and a beautiful hike in Kananaskis Country. Thanks for the great visit--can't wait to see you again over the holidays!!

Happy Hallowe'en!

Here's Greyson exploring our pumpkin.

Hope you all had a very Happy Hallowe'en!! :)

Anniversary photo shoot

http://juliewilliamsphotography.ca/blog/?p=6896

For our 5 year Anniversary this year, Dave and I had some professional photos done with a photographer recommended by a friend: http://juliewilliamsphotography.ca/blog

She did an absolutely incredible job, and we are so pleased with the results.

We were so happy to have such a beautiful keepsake as a reminder of our last 5 wonderful years together...

Baby Harman

Congratulations to Shandra and Dave on the birth of their baby girl, Alexandra Joli Harman on September 30th.

Tara and Jay's Wedding

Tara and Jay had a beautiful intimate wedding in Burlington on the Friday of Thanksgiving weekend. We are so happy for them, and looking forward to sharing in their new life together--Congratulations!!Proud parents!
Beautiful Bride and Groom