hello one and all. hope this finds you doing well in 2013! as we do not have internet at our personal computer yet, i will not be able to post any picts. but i just wanted to say hello:) things are going well, we have much to be thankful for. we are moved. fairly settled in. kev is working his tail off. the kids have adjusted well. we miss our previous place, but this place is definately more than adequate! we look forward to spring, to see what exists under all this snow. our last place, we lived on our trails and the yard...and it was so beautiful. there are trees here...we play lots on our long driveway and the snowpiles...for the last time last saturday, the 4 of us did a little sled ride. ian and i on one sled, keira and kev on the other. just for 1 or 2 km's across and around the quarter. was fun just to get out and be together. other than church, this was the first time...since like thanksgiving that we hung out and had fun. of course the kids loved it!!! news on the kids, they've both had ear infections since christmas. ian's on his 2nd as of today, pus coming out of his ear. he also had conjunctivitis last week, but thankfully it cleared up fast. we've been nearly a year dairy and egg free and wheat restricted...but we are now completely wheat free ... on our 2nd week now. definately miss our bread. biscuits just don't taste the same...so we're making 2 warm meals a day, but usually lunch is pancakes or something that isn't as much work as supper. just tons of powdery yucky flour (sorghum, garbonzo bean, amaranth, rice flours, tapioca, potato). ian's iron was at 10, and they want you to supplement anywhere under 50...getting all their levels double checked since his was so low. he's probably been to outpatients like 10 times since christmas because he's been so miserable and not sleeping at all. when i saw at all, i mean our 2 1/2 year old doesn't nap, and is sleeping anywhere from 3-6 hours a night. and lots of crying, miserable crying. even if i lay with him, he still cries. and we don't have a basement anymore to put him so we can get some sleep:) he's just taking after his big sister. but they're still happy kids for the most part during the day...still so amazing to think some times that we have 2 little people...it's so easy to forget what it felt like for 7 years dreaming of this...easy to take it for granted! like i said, lots to be thankful for. hoping to go to mb at the end of february - meet my new nephew:) and see everyone else!!! i was having a hard time thinking of leaving the kids, other than our 10th anniversary whne we left them for a night or two...but i know it'll be good. i'm just feeling bad now that they're going to be harder to take care of...no easy feeding for them. but, i guess as long as i have a lot prepped and frozen, then it's not so much work for someone else. how is everyone else doing? everyone itching for spring? we've been having some gorgeous weather. just the wind sometimes gets a bit cold. but lots of beautiful white stuff to play and run around in...makes me think back to ics and their big snowpiles...all of us kids played on them at recess and lunch, and us kids at home, big to small, putting on our colorful kamik boots, and going out in the back yard, walking over the fence:) just too much snow:) anyways, hi and love from our home to yours - hopes this finds you healthy and snug with your loved ones... we wish you the Lord's blessings in 2013! (we're late - sorry). hopefully picts will come sometime in the next couple weeks...my hubby doesn't have as much time as he used to, and that's not a bad thing (or a good thing...i'm not trying to get rid of him:)