Christmas highlight reel

A great Christmas in Vancouver this year.

It kicked off with Christmas Eve at Rachel and Chris'. An evening of great food, lots o kidz, and a couple episodes of 30 Rock. Does it get any better? I also used video skype for the first time. Awesome! Please, everyone in the family sign up, I will be using this during my travels next year. My user name is 'hazbnrower'. :) So great to see the Dunnet Chicago branch of Christmas Eve. Love technology.

Above are some of the Dunnet and Jonat boys on Christmas Eve. Cute eh? So impressed they are all looking at the camera.

I slept over at R and C's for Christmas Eve. Henry woke from a coma just when we were all going to bed. I think that was the only time I heard him before 7am but rumor has it he was up every 2 hours.

Spent a quality hour and half with H while is parent's caught some sleep on Christmas morning. I even put the carrier on and made myself coffee. Not sure it gets any better than nespresso and newborn sleeping on you.
We opened stockings (thanks Santa!) and presents, had homemade breakfast sandwiches and then went for a walk/run as it was a spectacular day out. Above is Henry really happy with his stocking.

FYI Santa was great to me; great stocking, and presents from H, R and C for my travels. Not that it is about the gifts; that was all bonus after the great evening and relaxing morning.

I third wheeled on the family walk and went for a bit of a run. First run outside since the half marathon in November and the day was perfect.

We all split up after, me home to mash potatoes, Jonats off for Jonat Christmas.

Headed over to Mum's with the mash potatoes around 4pm and spent the evening there.

Highlight for me was some quality time with Kaz late in the evening. Here he is climbing over his passed out Dad (too many rum and cokes!).

Boxing Day brunch at Chach and Dave's; Grand Forks Dunnets are all about Wii. Disappointed to have missed the Boxing Day run but the cold is starting to win and I am not feeling great. Awesome breakfast casserole thing at Chach's and it was a nice chill morning.

Next up: the Grud returns to Vancouver!!!!!!!!!!

The even numbered Christmas - Part 2

Margo and I decided to take all of the hugs that would have been given to other aunts and uncles if they had been able to come to Grand Forks. Much of the visit was spent asking K and K for hugs or just randomly picking them up and taking the hugs.

FYI young Kohei is in that aggressive boy stage where he likes to fight and punch but he still offers a good hug. In the morning you don't even have to ask...just open your arms.

Kiyomi does the jump hug where she runs into your arms, gives you hugs and then does a Mary Lou Retton back flip off you. She really showcases how coordinated she is becoming in the skating video that I am attempting to post but is way too long since I was stunned watching her amazing skating and forgot to stop the camera.

Will try to edit it somehow and show a bit on the blog.


Big K is still into doing hair but as you can see, the Aunties aren't always supportive of that game.
Kohei is working on the over smile and I have Kiyomi reminding him as well. It is still so cute.

Margo is chasing Kohei on a hard icy surface. Don't worry; he puts a helmet on in a few minutes.There are some great photos of the kids sledding but they are on Mum's camera. I plan to try and get them tomorrow when I am over there for brunch.

The 2.5 days went by way too fast. It was a decadent Christmas of hugs, way too much good food (thanks to Dave and Sachon) and a lot of hanging out doing nothing, watching Harry Potter movies and enjoying the great company. We even watched Max Dugan Returns for old times sake. A great Christmas; I came home relaxed and stuffed from too much food.