Our 2011... Highlights and Video!

I know I say it every year, but it's hard to believe that another year has come and gone! This year was a great one for us.

- Colby continues to grow and amaze us every day with his witty nature and thinking ways. As a baby, he was very "analytical" and I still think that is still very much a part of his nature. He makes us laugh and smile every day. We often say, "Where did that come from?!"

- Jenna is now 2 and this was a big year for her! Toddler bed, no more soother, day surgery for tubes in her ears, first hair cut, and lots of talking are a few highlights! She is so sweet and we absolutely love her giant hugs and kisses!

- Gerry is still very busy and continues to be successful as Parts Manager at AR Williams in Edmonton. He curls Monday nights with his Mixed League and also took my dad's spot for several Thursday evenings as well in the Men's League. He is an amazing dad and I cherish each and every day with my great husband :)

- School is busy... always is. This school year, I am back to working full-time and am enjoying a great class! I am teaching grade 3 again this year and enjoy teaching at Forest Green School with a great staff. It is pretty crazy teaching full-time, but having great family and friends to enjoy a little bit of down time on the weekends is nice!

- The rest of our year consisted of trips to Grande Prairie to visit family, lots of camping trips, a trip to Maui with just Gerry and I, family trip to San Diego in the summer, my cousin, Michelle's wedding, swimming lessons, along with many other great experiences!

Enjoy a (very) brief look at our 2011 in pictures! It's so difficult to choose pictures when I have just a few to pick from ;)

Wishing you and your family a wonderful 2012 filled with love, happiness, and joy!

All the best from Gerry, Lesley, Colby and Jenna xoxo

The Best Place To Be Is Together

Two of the best things about having a family blog are that
1. It's another way to document events and development in our family, and
2. To communicate and share photos with extended family, especially those who do not live close or those who are not on Facebook.

On September 24, 2011, we had a Family Photo Session photographed by Jody Noel (Heart and Soul Photography). We had a lot of fun and were very happy with the results. I put together a little video of some of the photos!!

October.... Already?!

Wow! September has come and gone... uhm, hello October!?!

On the September long weekend, we celebrated the wedding of a beautiful couple, Michelle and Jason Villadsen! My cousin was a stunning bride and we couldn't be happier for the two of them! Congratulations!!



We took in the Sesame Street exhibit at the TWOSE and loved it! Jenna adores Elmo (but wasn't such a huge fan like Colby to meet him in person!) and we all enjoyed the activities in the exhibit!







Our little girl turned 2 on September 21st! Not sure how that happened or where the last two years have gone...... We had a great Polka Dot Party on Sept. 18th and celebrated with family and close friends. Thankfully, the weather cooperated and the kids enjoyed playing outside, doing a polka dot canvas craft, and enjoyed yummy cupcakes and cakepops after dinner :) Thank you again, to Auntie Kristy, for making Jenna's cupcakes and #2 cake! Jenna was absolutely spoiled by everyone and is loving her new toys. Thank you, everyone! We are blessed to have such fabulous people in our lives. Thank you to Grandma Cameron who came down to help celebrate too! So nice to have you at our house for a few days!! Love you all :)

As usual, in the life of a teacher, September was one of my busiest months. With a lot of work prepping the classroom, meeting my new class, completing plans and documents, coaching Running Club and attending weekly races, etc., I worked a lot of hours this month. Thank goodness for my amazing husband who helps out SO much!!! Now that September is over, hopefully life will calm down a bit. I have a great class this year and am enjoying the eager group of students I have!

The kids both began swimming lessons last weekend and are doing really well so far! Colby was having some confidence issues in the last session, so we were a bit worried about how things were going to go this time in his unparented class. Seems like a little break from the lessons and a few more months of growing has helped :) He loved it! And loves his teacher with "the crazy hair!" Jenna is in a parented session and is doing well too. Since her issues with ear infections, she hasn't been to lessons in a long time. Hopefully she continues to enjoy it and develop her confidence and skills :)

The long weekend ahead is looking like it's going to be a busy one for our family with a few visits from friends set up, our nephews', Landon and Jordan, birthday party, and hosting and cooking Thanksgiving dinner. Looking forward to a fun time :)

Have a great rest of the weekend, everyone! Happy Fall :)

The Cameron's

Summer Update

I say it every time I fall behind in blogging, but life is crazy! That's all I can say. I really want to make more time for blogging, but it is what it is!

We have had a really great summer so far (although I'm still waiting to see summer weather for more than a day or two at a time)! Some highlights have been:

- Being at home with the kids every day. Definitely one of the perks of being a teacher! I love waking up (after we all sleep in) and not rushing out the door to the dayhome, work, etc., and spending all day, every day with our two great kids! I tell ya, being a stay at home mom is definitely a pretty great life!

- Trip to San Diego, California. We had a fabulous five day trip to San Diego again this year from July 14-18. The kids traveled SO well, slept great, and enjoyed the activities. We're so thankful they did so great on the planes and even with the layovers and delays in the airports. They're travel troopers! We LOVED Sea World again and the look of excitement and sheer joy on the kids' faces (especially Colby) when we saw the Shamu Show was so worth it. Amazing hotel room at the same hotel we stayed at last time and great swimming before bed every night was a lot of fun. We really do love San Diego and want to go back again. I really do think I could handle living there... hmm.......

- Outside play, trips to parks, picnics, and dinners outside. Soaking up the sun and enjoying the outdoors is really what summer is all about! We have gone to numerous parks and enjoyed a great splash park in the city, as well as Cafe O'Play and Capital Ex on a rainy day. Colby enjoyed playing soccer in the spring and is still showing an interest in soccer as we play outside. He has also recently discovered baseball and loves playing catch with Mom and Dad! Looks super cute with his glove and actually has a pretty good throw!

- Camping and Quadding! Every year, camping gets even better as the kids get older. We decided to not camp as much as did last year, as we were gone nearly every weekend last summer. It has been great going out a few times and of course, the kids love playing at the beach, in lakes, and around the campsite. Last year, Jenna was not yet walking, so we're enjoying her being that much older this year and not worrying about her eating rocks, etc!!



- Colby also loved going fishing with his dad, Uncle Kyle, and Landon at Gull Lake. Sadly, they didn't catch anything, but it was definitely pretty cute to see! We are going to Carson Lake this weekend by Whitecourt, so maybe they'll try their luck again!











- Happy Anniversary. Gerry and I celebrated our 6th anniversary on July 30th. It was a very hot day at a family reunion, with weather just like on our wedding day. I am blessed to be married to such a great man who is also an amazing dad! Love you so much, Ger!

- Little bit o' landscaping. We had some decorative concrete curbing put in recently and are excited to do some landscaping around the yard, in addition to some house projects like re-finishing the deck and enclosing it to be a shed.

Next week the kids and I will be heading to Strathmore for a few days to visit a few great friends. Looking forward to seeing them and playing with the kids!

Hope everyone is having a fantastic summer and enjoying the outdoors in between the rainy days!!

Lesley

My Top "RE's" of Life

One more thing off of my Bucket List... Vacation in Hawaii!

We loved it so much that we want to go back again and take the kids next time!

Gerry and I enjoyed a wonderful 8 day vacation to Maui, Hawaii over Spring Break. It was an amazing experience and we did many great things on the island. I really enjoy learning about the culture of new places we visit, seeing the sights, and enjoying some rest and relaxation, too. I've had quite a busy year, even at a reduced FTE of 0.8, and was looking forward to a getaway to a beautiful place we'd never been before!

There are a few "RE's" that I was reminded of while we were away. I believe it is really important to:

1. RELAX - For those who really know me, I don't "relax" very easily. I recognize this and am trying to work on it :) Even while in Hawaii, we didn't relax as much as we should have. We had a really busy trip with several excursions and busy days. Mental note = next time, more beach time and come home more relaxed!

2. RECONNECT - We're busy. Everyone is busy. Trying to be the best at everything (mom, wife, teacher, friend) is difficult. Often, the connection we have with those we love can be put on the back burner. It was nice to spend time with just my wonderful husband and reconnect and talk, just the two of us.

3. REJUVENATE - One great by-product of taking time for oneself is rejuvenating. It is important to take some time, do things we love and enjoy, relax, and feel rested and re-inspired when we return.

4. REFOCUS - I believe that being able to do the above three (relax, reconnect, rejuvenate) allows us to refocus. Refocus energy into what is most important, know where our priorities are, do the best we can at everything we do, and enjoy doing it! I was ready to come home and despite a long red-eye flight home and a delay in connection flight, the best thing was coming home and holding our beautiful kids in my arms!! I have two passions in my life... my family and teaching kids. My goal? Do the very best I can at both.

While it was really hard to be away from the kids for so long (and yes, I shed some tears at least a few times!), we had some really great experiences. Some highlights of our great trip include:
- Humpback whale watching tour... breathtaking and simply amazing.
- Fleming Beach and playing in the ocean waves... so fun to laugh, play, and enjoy!
- Snorkeling at Molokini Crater... beautiful water, coral, fish, and turtle sightings!
- Road to Hana tour... long 11 hour day, but unbelievable scenery and learned a lot about culture and the island of Maui. Black sand beach, rainforest driving for 5 hours, stops along the way made it very memorable
- Sunset dinner cruise... great last night on Maui with my husband!
- Experiencing true Hawaiian culture at our first lu'au

Here is a link to some photos that we took (just a few of the 800+) that I took!

We are so thankful for our wonderful family members who took such great care of our kids while we were away. They loved having their own little holiday with their grandparents!! My mom and dad had the kids for the first half of the trip. Colby and Jenna enjoyed fun play time and sleepovers at Grandma and Grandpa's and playtime with their cousins, too. Gerry's mom came down for the second half of our time away and spent some great time with the kids. Thankfully, everyone back home decided not to tell me that Colby was sick one day (knowing that I would worry and want to come home right away)! They took care of everything and we are so blessed that our kids are so well-taken care of while we were away on a vacation!! (Too bad they didn't miss us at all!) Thank you again!! xoxo

So... not that I'm exactly one to give "advice", but my thoughts for today? Find time to Relax, Reconnect, Rejuvenate, and Refocus! It's good for the body, mind, and soul :)

Cameron Family Update!

Winter. Cold. Still. Yuck! We are SO ready for spring in our house! The nice thing about the mornings is that the sun is actually up when we are leaving for the day :) The downside... it is still consistently below -20 when we are getting in the car. I know I can't wait to see grass again and spend some time going for walks and playing outside!

I have to say, our kids are troopers! Getting out of the house at 7:30 every morning isn't easy, but I'm lucky our kids do well with it! They love going to the dayhome, which makes everything easier.

We have had a very busy month, although it seems like that is the theme of every blog post! Report cards is always a difficult time with longer working hours, less sleeping hours, and less family time. Nothing feels better than knowing you've done the best you can on a job and seeing the word "Submitted"! Gerry and I are getting excited for our trip to Hawaii and we leave in just over 2 weeks! I am worried about leaving the kids for 8 days, but know that this is something we need and deserve :) We're looking forward to going on a trip this summer with the kids and a big holiday when they're a bit older (and will remember!)

Colby is doing great! He keeps us entertained and always wondering, "How does he know that?" or "Where did he get that from?" He's a great big brother and one of my favourite moments of every day is seeing Colby and Jenna say goodnight and give hugs and kisses to each other! He's excited when Jenna wakes up in the morning and plays really well with her. I'm so happy that he has a great little friend who is slightly older than him at the dayhome. He and Hunter are very close and I'm glad that there's another boy around everyday :) Colby continues to enjoy playing outside, Thomas trains, cars, etc. Love you, buddy! :)

Jenna is almost 18 months old! Where does the time go?! I am convinced that she will be entering the terrible two's before she turns two! Jenna is already a strong-willed, independent little girl. She likes doing everything herself and only wants help after she's tried. Sounds like her Mom, maybe? Just a bit?! Jenna is a social little girl who enjoys playing with anyone and everyone. She loves playing with her older brother and is often his little "shadow". I love that her hair is finally growing in well and the little curls at the end! Man, she's cute, but I'm pretty biased too!! ;)

Enjoy the rest of your week, everyone! I'm going to really try to stay a bit more caught up with our family blog... right now I have three blogs and it's hard to keep up with it all! The late afternoons and evenings seem to disappear so quickly!!

xoxo
Lesley

Writing and Reading

I LOVE when our kids hit new milestones. Something truly special about growing up and doing new things. Here's a picture of a new thing Colby can do!

He is learning to write his name! I absolutely love this photo (and his big proud smile!) of his name on his MagnaDoodle. We will keep working on the "y" but I think he's doing pretty great for a 3 year old. Good job, buddy!! :)

Jenna LOVES reading! Music to Mom's ears, right?! ;) Yes, yes, as a teacher, I love seeing children of any age reading and enjoying it. We will often find Jenna sitting on her little Dora couch or just on the floor in her room beside her bookcase reading some of her favourites! Love it!!


One of the books I read while I was pregnant with Colby was called "Reading Magic" by Mem Fox. I love Mem Fox and was very fortunate to meet her (and get a few books signed) at Convention a couple of years ago. The book speaks to the importance of reading aloud to your children from the day they are born. As I taught Early Literacy in the past and enjoy teaching Language Arts at any grade, I realize the importance of reading readiness skills. The book suggested reading 3 books aloud per day, every day. I found it was quite manageable when I was at home on maternity leave, but now that I'm back at work, it's a bit more challenging! Thankfully, we still manage to fit it in! :)