Oh...Happy Christmas!

 

 

 

Christmas 2016 was fun, we all celebrated together in the cabins at Banff Gate!

Dad and I enjoyed a few days together before the kids came just relaxing and enjoying some time to gather.

 

 

 

We brought a tree from home and decorated it up beautifully!

It added a nice atmosphere to our cabin.

We also decorated with Christmas stockings for all the grand kids.

What a fun time we had, the kids were so excited for their Christmas presents!

 

 

 

Ava and Joshie wearing a cute hat and apron sent to them by Grandma Toone.

 

 

 

 

Ivy looking pretty cute in her hat!

 

 

 

Brynnlee having fun on her new 'jumping horse'!

 

 

 

 

"Hey, look this way!" Brooklyn using her new camera.

Uncle Mark enjoying some 'sweet niece time' with Elena and Mckinley.

 

 

 

 

 

Jonathan and Joshie were showing their joy at celebrating together!!

 

 

 

 

 

Cute Brynnlee and D just hanging out!!

 

Tiffany making up her delicious white chocolate brownie for dessert!

 

 

 

Mark enjoyed so much just being with family!

He is so loved by his nieces and nephews!!

 

 

Cameron helping the kids discover all the goodies in their stockings!

 

Ivy and Brynn having some snuggle time together!

 

 

 

Brooke loves the colourful gloves she got in stocking!

 

 

A happy grandpa enjoying some time with his two oldest granddaughters, Brookie and Ava!

 

 

 

 

 

Aunt Tiff spending some time with baby Max!

 

 

 

Good 'ole Uncle Mark showing the kids how to fly his newest toy!

 

 

 

 

Happy Colby! He loves presents at Christmas!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

OK...who let the moose in?!

 

 

 

Hang on! Ava, Ivy and Josh know it will be a fun ride with Uncle Mark!!

 

 

 

 

Sweet Mckinley, just loving the snow and patiently waiting her turn for a ride.

 

 

 

Elena and Tiffy are dressed for a fun outdoor sledding day, love those gloves!!

 

 

 

Ava just waiting for a safe time to head down the hill!

 

 

 

Brynnlee looks so cute, but it's just about time to 'call it quits' on the hill!

 

 

 

Watch out when these two get on a sled together!!

 

 

 

Aunt Lindsay taking a fun run down the hill with Ava and Ivy!

 

 

 

 

Jon and dad enjoying some fun ski time together!!

Jon and Mark looking so good in the mountains, enjoying time together doing something they both love!!

 

Jon, Tifff, Ava and Josh enjoyed spending a day skiing with Mark and dad!

 

 

 

 

Colby and Ivy laugh together as they share an 'elephant ear' that Uncle Cam couldn't resist buying for them during our visit to Banff!

 

 

 

Grandma is having so much fun sharing candy with Brooke, Mckinley, Brynn, Colby, Ivy and Elena at the local candy store in Banff!!

 

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Our Annual Summer Reunion

Our cabin is almost finished, so we celebrated by having our Stringham family reunion there over the September long weekend!

 

 

 

We actually managed to have a family picture taken, which I love!!

We are so glad Max was born in time to make it in the family photo!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our theme for the reunion was "If life gives you lemons, make lemonade." We centred everything around lemons.

Ava made us a nice sign for our Lemonade stand.

 

 

The kids had fun helping grandpa make the lemonade stand.

 

Grandpa thought that 5 cents to 5 dollars a cup was inflation, but they had their bat ready for him if he didn't pay up!

 

 

In order to stock the stand we had to make lemonade and that took a lot of squeezing effort by everyone.

 

 

Brynnlee had the most fun and kept saying "one more, one more, dad!"

 

 

 

Mark just had to get one more drop out of that lemon!

 

 

 

 

 

The kids went on a scavenger hunt, looking for fun things in nature. They brought them back and make a 'sculpture' out of their treasures.

 

 

 

 

Brooke and grandpa had a good time trying to figure where to put everything.

They decided the lemon drops were pretty good and gave them extra creative energy for their 'sculpture.'

 

 

Mckinley is very pleased with her creation!

 

 

Ava used almost every item that she collected...except Uncle Mark's live beetle.

 

 

 

 

 

Grandpa and D are making concrete forms from deep dish pizza boxes.

 

 

 

After pouring concrete in the pizza boxes we were able to get the grandkids hand prints for stepping stones!

 

 

 

 

Grandpa is really concentrating to help Brynn get her print perfectly centered.

 

They are turning out so cute!

 

 

 

Wow, how fun to put my hands in cold concrete. Can we do this everyday dad?

We'll put the concrete stones around the cabin for the kids to see in the years to come!

 

 

Brynn, Mckinley, Ava and Brooke had fun hanging out and playing.

They are sure beautiful little girls!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

We had so much fun eating together... Some good food and some junk food (like lemon drop candies).

 

Grandpa is cooking the crab for the Crab Boil... Lindsay's specialty.

 

 

 

Wow!! Now that is a lot of food!!

 

Crab, Taber corn, potatoes, and sausage. Doesn't get much better than that!

 

I don't think we ate even half the food we had on that table, but how fun to just throw the food on the table and use NO utensils!!

 

 

 

 

I'm not sure how much crab Mark ate, but he loved every piece!

 

 

 

 

 

Ava and Auntie Tiff loved holding little baby Maxwell.

I think he loved being at the reunion and all the attention and love he got!

We were happy that Great Grandma Stringham could come out on Sunday for the reunion. Doug went and got her after church. She loved visiting with everyone!

 

 

 

Well, what fun we had doing crafts! Grandma's fridge looks so beautiful with all these lovely creations on it!

 

What a wonderful reunion! We are so grateful for our dear kids and grandkids. They mean everything to us!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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