HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!

I have only one more week here in Calgary with my family! I will miss them along with Grandma for Christmas but this year we get to join my American family. Mike and I are very excited to have Christmas in Tri-Cities with mom and dad Davis! We will also get to see several of Mike's long time friends, Joe, Walter, Josh and others as well as Bree & Trason. We are thrilled, but I have a long journey ahead of me, only a 13 hr drive on normal roads and who knows on snowy, snowy, snowy roads!
First things first...my mom is a divine interior decorator! She makes this home feel so cozy and warm with that perfect Christmas smell. Here are some pics.







Now onto the SNOW. So last sunday the snow started at 8:30 am and by the time mom & I left for church there was a good 4 inches. After church there was a good 7 inches and by 5:30pm when the snow stopped we had 8inches. Then today at work around 2pm it was a comnplete white out again with snow falling like crazy. The drive home took 2 times as long and on a highway with a 110km speed limit, my max was 60km. It was crazy! Well it still hasn't stopped and it is midnight. I honestly don't think I will be able to get out of the garage for work tomorrow. Here are some pics

Snow drift at the door, yikes, its only 7pm at this point!



This is a good 1/2 meter high pile of snow on the back patio table!


Now onto the big one...we were all doing our own thing and then heard a big bang, snap sound. We all wondered what it was. This is our huge outdoor gazeebo. The strong metal frame collapsed under the weight of the snow. We were outside trying to save things from getting worse. It sure was an adventure and a great workout! It wasd fun family bonding time! We worked great as a team. The next few days are suppose to be -25 degrees celcius. Wow, I hope lola starts ok!

Mike's Last Visit to Calgary & American Thanksgiving!

So... Mike came up late on a friday. On satuarday we kicked off the 9 days together by going out to a fancy dinner with my Nan and Grandad at an Authentic restaurant in Okotoks. It's a small trendy town about 15 mins away from home. The french couple that owned it were absolutely adorable with accents that were difficult to understand. I felt like I was in Ratatouille, you know the cute Disney movie. That afternoon Mike & I made homemade chocolates. They are alot of work, but ever so delicious! We made almond (Mike's favorite), maple and mint (my favorite) flavours. That evening we had to drag Mike to yet another wedding reception, which he does every time he is up. It was a busy but fun first day!!
The next exciting thing was Mike's first NHL Flames Game! It was an early b-day present for both Mike & Joel. We went to Value Village to get our Fan-attict Flames gear. What a riot! We C-trained it to the Saddledome and enjoyed a 6-2 win for Calgary!!! Go Flames Go! We went out to Mimosa, a Vietnamese restaurant for Mike's b-day lunch the next day.
Unfortunately on Thursday, American Thanksgiving, we were all at work, so Mike & my dad watched football and did some running around. We had Thanksgiving celebrations on the Friday as there is no "Black Friday" here to enjoy. It wasn't a traditional meal because Mike is not a big turkey fan so we had a 100% true ALBERTA BEEF Rib Roast with Yorkshire puddings, mashed potatoes, veggies and all the works, with homemade apple pie from scratch. It was great!!! We even had 2 American missionaries over to join us in the celebration, after which we played games. It was great! I don't have any pics of that :(
Saturday was the first day of boarding for all of us this season, and it was good. I was riding a new board, boots & bindings, which was tough, but it was fun to enjoy the view and the fresh air. The conditions were less than desirable but still fun!
Then sunday it was off to the airport, after a delicious meal down at Nan & Grandad's
We had a great time together and there is only 17 more days until I am permanently back in the US with my Mikey, well I guess after our trip to JAPAN!!! Thats right I will be in Boise for a total of 12 hours before we leave for Washington to spend Christmas with Mike's family and then off to Japan on Boxing Day until Jan 17th. I can't wait to be back in my humble abode with my lovely Mike! He sure is ready for his semester to be over, but he is doing a GREAT job in some really tough classes. I am so proud of him. Keep it up hun! As you can see we will be very busy, so there won't be another update until after Japan! Everyone please a very MERRY CHRISTMAS and a GREAT START to 2009!!! Love Mike & Eth
Mike's yummy lamb burger!
My salmon was literally smoked on a rock from the river that stayed hot my entire meal. It was so neat!!!
YEAH HOCKEY!!! I sure miss that about living in the US.
Joel & Sonni, we love you guys!




Mike & lanny down at dinner with Nan & Grandad

Cute mom & dad

Dane is hard core...going boarding being sick. Crazy hair not to mention!
What a hot dad I have, and no thats not a gut, just his shirt
looking good Mikey!

Missing Boise!

Now that I have been up here for 3 full months I am getting anxious to head back, only 1 month to go. I know I have missed out on the little things that happen from day to day with Mike and some big things like being released from his calling as second counsellor in the bishopric yesterday. He has been in that calling for 16 months, which a while for a student married ward. We were truly blessed and taken care of, especially Mike with his schooling. He was a great counsellor and will miss spending as much time with bishop and Jeff. Thanks hun for working so hard and being such a great example of selflessness. I sure love you.
Despite missing a few big events, its mostly been studying I'm sure. I can't wait for American Thanksgiving as Mike will be joining us up in Calgs again, but this time not for 3 days but for 9!!! How wonderful!!!

Mike in Calgary...Finally!!!

Mike was finally able to join me up here in the North. We only had 2 full days together, but it was wonderful and rejuvinating to see each other. He was here for Halloween, which was nice, because after the scary movie we watched I needed his protection. I HATE scary movies! It was also Dane's 23rd b-day on Nov 2nd, so we got to do a dinner and cake. Mike & Danger are the same age for 1 month. How weird! Time went by too quick but we sure made the most of what we had. The next time he is up it will be for 9 days, so I can't wait. Oh and we will be celebrating American Thanksgiving then. YEAH!!!

We are on our way out to Kensington, a trendy area in downtown Calgary with fun shops and a unique atmosphere. You could say its one area of culture in good 'ol Calgs.

This was seriously so neat. It was parked on the street right as you get off the C-Train in Kensington. Mike and I want to do it too.



Watching the traffic helicopter take off. It was pretty cool, we watched it get all preped for take-off. We were thinking of you Alan!

Downtown is so pretty and the weather was just perfect! It has a similar feel to downtown Boise, except it is much bigger. Here is our future penthouse on the river, right hun? Ha! Ha! Ha!

together again!

who knows???



The family, except for Chubbs. We missed you! What is Lanae doing?

After our day on the town, my feet were so sore because I wore brand new shoes. Mikey Piggy-backed me for a while and even ran and went up stairs. It was very impressive. All that working out is paying off hun!

While we were waiting for Lanny to do her tanning we went to Petland, and this was the cutest thing ever. Don't ask me how they got in there together.

Eating cake at Dane's b-day celebration right before taking Mike to the airport :(

He's a 2-3 gangster, what can we say?

Old Bunny Cage Bonfire!

This is what we do for fun on acreages. We had angora bunnies about 7 years ago and for some reason still had to cage my dad made. One day I decided to get my pyro brother, Dane and my photographer sister to help me burn it.

Finally we got it centered over the firepit and then we let Dane get things going.

Blazing Away!


Here I am doing back draft where the air rushes in and fuels the fire, it is oh so HOT!

Here lies the final resting place of the old Bunny cage.

Canadian Thanksgiving!

Up here in Canada we celebrate Thanksgiving sooner because our harvest is sooner. In most areas up here, if we waited until the end of november to celebrate harvest, it would be full-on winter. It was nice and relaxing to have an extra day off, because I am working like crazy. I worked on saturday, and usually Thanksgiving dinner is done on Sunday or Monday but my dad worked sunday and Lanae worked monday so we did it on saturday right as soon as I got home from work. It was delicious!My Grandma made her well known pumpkin pies, my mom made a first time fresh apple pie and everything else was tradition stuff, like mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, corn, apple salad, stuffing (but with sausage this time), gravy, etc.

Grandma with the babies she made all of her granddaughters, that are so real, its amazing. They even have little bumb cracks and belly buttons.

My parents and Dane went to a wedding reception and looked very fancy so I had to take a picture.

Nan & Grandad joined us for dinner and then we got both Nan & Grandma on the Wii fit, which was more entertainment than a movie, according to Grandad!

Mom & Grandma just chillin after a good turkey dinner.