Gingerbread House

The annual decorating of the gingerbread house should be re-named, the half hour where Kaylum gorges himself on as much candy as he can shove in his mouth event. Because for the second year running, that's what he did!!

This year we bought the pre-assembled kit from Costco, which is awesome! The kids don't want to wait around for the walls to dry, they just want to slap on candy. I liked it because the walls don't always cooperate.

There was left over candy, you can see it in the picture above in the little bowl. In that little bowl Kaylum and Keira made "candy soup" where they mixed all the left over candy together, got out a spoon and did more shovelling. I can't believe they didn't barf and I can't believe I let them do it. They even ate their dinner after. Shocker. I know.

The tree is up!

On Friday we made our fastest tree purchase EVER! It happened so fast because it was after 4pm when we got to the tree farm and I totally forgot, hey its winter, it gets dark at FOUR THIRTY!! HAHA! That's ok the kids picked it and its a great tree! It wasn't raining or snowing (the kids weren't happy about that). I had to tell them that if we waited to get our tree until it snowed, we may not get a tree! So because it was a spontaneous trip, there were no photos of our excursion and there are only a few of the decorating process, strange I know.

Disney on Ice

On Sunday we took the kids to Disney on Ice. We haven't been since Kaylum was a baby so we were excited to get to go again. We were even more excited that it was held in Abbotsford at the Abbotsford Entertainment & Event Centre! It was so great to be able to see this kind of event without making the hour or so trip into Vancouver. In fact, it was probably better because the arena is smaller so even though you are in the "cheap seats" and higher up from the ice, you aren't as high up as you would be if you were watching it in the "cheap seats" at the Rogers Arena/GM Place, so really, the cheap seat were good seats! That's a mouthful!

In case you are interested, most of the photos I took of the characters on the ice, I took with my point and shoot and without my flash. Chances are if I used my flash, I would have lit up the head of the guy in front of me and may have had the characters show up dark. Your flash will illuminate the first thing it hits (which is usually the guy in front of you). The nice thing about this situation is, you don't need a flash. Those spotlights are perfect and give plenty of light. I did crank up my ISO to 800 so there is some grain. But I'd rather grain than flash.

Santa Breakfast

On Saturday we hit the Santa Breakfast at the girls's school. The kids always love going and the pancakes are always super yummy. Santa comes and they get in a little visit and then run madly all over the gym with their little friends.

Kaylum's First Christmas Concert

Kaylum had his first concert for Pre-School on Thursday. We were so proud of how well he preformed. He was so excited to be on stage and kept asking me all day when was it time to go? I asked him to wear his Spiderman tie but he didn't want to. So I told him that Marmie would really like to see it. So he wore it and that's why he's proudly showing it off in the video.

30 Day Challenge | Day 30

Well here it is, the last post. I didn't think I was going to get it done. I haven't taken a picture all day. In fact, I didn't get I could complete the challenge. I really thought I would have given up a couple weeks ago. Ok I didn't post every day, but I did better than I thought I would!

This afternoon as I drove by the tree out front I saw rain drops hanging of the Christmas light cord and I thought, oooooooh!! But it was POURING!!! So I left it, well that and I would have been late for school pick up. I'm glad I did wait because it stopped raining tonight and I got this interesting shot.

I shot it with my 50mm and a 20mm extension tube at 1.8 1/250 iso 3200

I like the bokeh the lights are giving. I'd like to try again with a tight aperture. Maybe another night.

30 Day Challenge | Day 28

Wow only 2 days left in the challenge!?! That means 2 more days till December. That means Christmas season my officially begin in the Funk house. And that I have 2 more days to get some advent calendars for the kids.

This was what we were up to today! No rain and not too cold, that means a perfect day to erect the lights of Christmas!

30 Day Challenge | Day 27

I snapped this one quickly with my point and shoot just before the girl's competition this morning.

Keira placed 5th in one of her dances and Kylie got 2 second places and a 4th!! It was a good day :)

30 Day Challenge | Day 25

Can't keep snow out of the photo of the day today! I did take a picture yesterday, I just never posted it. So here's 2!

My son loves eating snow. He sat out back just munching away this afternoon. When we told him not to eat the yellow snow, he simply answered, why?

My angel, making angels.

30 Day Challenge | Day 13

Its COLD!!!!!!!

30 Day Challenge | Day 21

I spent the afternoon hanging out with some real monsters. Literally.

I was helping my friend Terri at the Make It Show selling her Monster Friends.

These are a couple shots of my favs. I think one of the things I love about the Monsters, is how each one has a personality! And no 2 monsters are alike!

When I got home this was waiting for me!

30 Day Challenge | Day 20

Someone must have heard my complaint about a lack of flowers to photograph, so when Sean got home from work last night, there was a bouquet in his hands! So they are the subject of today's POTD!

This morning we went and visited Santa. Our friend who is a photographer and his wife make a weekend photo session with Santa. This is our 3rd year and it is so refreshing to see what pros our kids are with Santa. This is Kaylum's first year sitting alone with the man in red. While he's never cried, he was always a little unsure about him. But this year he went right up on his lap and told him what he wanted. A Go Diego Go backpack and Batman Bat Cave. The girls of course had no apprehensions getting on the big guy's knee. Kylie said she wanted an alarm clock and a tinker jewellery box and watch. Keira asked for a sparkly box, books and a video camera. Here's last year's pics.

30 Day Challenge | Day 19

Its an exciting Friday here!

First up: today's photo. It a Christmas Cactus flower. I think they are really interesting flowers. The way they are constructed it really interesting.

Next up, snow!

I was very exciting here this morning. Especially for Kaylum. He doesn't rememeber our big snow dump 2 years ago and with the purchase of new snow boots, he couldn't wait for snow! So this morning I could here him yelling IT SNOWED! And promptly asked if it was Christmas now. That was followed by him running upstairs to tell me it snowed. Telling me to come see, and also I should put on some pants, so I could come see the snow. He tasted it everywhere we went today.

Sampling the front yard snow

Sampling snow from under his boot. Yes, under his boot.

Next up: the girls! They both were awarded today at their school assembly for being excellent (but of course). Kylie for academic achievement and social responsibility, which translates to helping her peers. Keira's was for excellent reading and writing. Her reading is super and she is one of the top in her class!!