Christmas 2009

Happy Holidays to you all from the Augustine household!

We have very much enjoyed a white Christmas here in Calgary with beautiful sunshine. Lindsay and I had a quiet Christmas morning before heading over to my sister's for a delicious Christmas turkey dinner. All the kids were on cloud nine, excited to share the news and presents of what Santa had delivered. There was lots of playing and eating and enjoying some family time. Games were played and goodies were devoured, with many memories made.

And of course a few photos taken to capture special moments...

Enjoying an 'I Spy' book with Uncle Lindsay

Hockey time with dad and grandpa

Still full of energy.. Jenna and Bree love their bathtime.

Two days on...

The snow has stopped, but the freezing temperatures have stayed with a vengance!

Ever wonder what minus 33 looks like first thing in the morning??

The aftermath...drifts on our window sill - nine floors up!!

Snow storm in Calgary!

Winter's has arrived...

After a mild month of November, we have had a huge reminder of what life is really like in the winter living in the northern hemisphere. The warnings began on Thursday afternoon and the snow started just after 8 am on Friday. It snowed all day Friday and Friday night. Road conditions were horrendous, little to no visibility - not to forget to mention blowing and drifting snow across roads and cars! We received about 20 cm of the white stuff and even bigger snow drifts! After the snow came the frigid temperatures, plummeting to the minus 30's and that is without the windchill. All you Canadians know what these temperatures can do to one's eye lashes and nose hairs -- frozen like icicles!! Calgary has quickly turned into a winter wonderland. From the warm comforts of our blazing fire and fleecy socks - everything really does look beautiful. That is until you venture out into the Arctic tundra!

Introducing Baby Canoz...

Just about halfway through the pregnancy and a little hard to believe how quickly time is going. All is going well as my belly continues to grow and grow and grow...

We had probably the most exciting doctor's appointment so far. An ultrasound to check on the little dude/dudette's growth and a chance for us to officially meet and greet little Canoz 'face to face'. No more black and white images, but an actual 4D video account of the little babe movin' and groovin'. We saw arms, legs, hands, feet, a face with a tiny little nose, mouth and eyes - also bones - a good solid spine and even more amazing the heart chambers pumping away. We even caught a video of a little wave to the world - or at least that is what we say it was. It could also be the shyness of having being intruded on in his/her cozy little home. It was the most wonderful and yet a little bizarre experience so far. I've been feeling a few movements throughout the days (and nights!!) - a jolt here and a poke there - just reminding me to take it a little more easy as I have a little person growing inside.

As for preparations for the arrival of baby Canoz, Linds has been busy painting our second bedroom, which will be for Canoz. We've also made a few small purchases and doing some research into strollers and cribs.

Life aside from Canoz, is still pretty busy. Can you believe that my little nephew Aidan turned 5 last week! I can't believe it! He is quite a little man who loves to have chat on the phone and is flourishing at Kindergarden. Maelle will be turning 3 in December and Trick and Treat are growing so quickly. Bree has actually began crawling and I'm sure Jenna will be soon to follow!

My mom and dad have decided to come out for Christmas this year - which will be full of festivities and fun times. How different will Christmas be next year in the Augustine home??

Enjoy the video footage of Canoz...

Weekend in the mountains

A late birthday getaway, Linds and I headed into Banff for the weekend. A special luxurious treat with a stay at the Banff Springs Hotel, thanks to some inside contacts! (Thanks again Jo!!) We enjoyed some fabulous mountain views and even some snow on Saturday night. We also saw three fantastic films at the Banff Mountain Film Festival - a family story about skiing in Chamonix, the tragedy on one of the very first ascents the north face of the Eiger and one about a family who followed Farley Mowat's journey in a canoe, from Canmore to the East Coast of Canada. Some really inspiring stories and film footage.

As for our current adventure with baby Canaussie - all is going well. The little Canoz is growing and so is my belly! Nothing too drastic yet, but usually noticeable now depending on my ever decreasing choice of clothes! Linds and I cannot wait to introduce little Canoz to the mountains with some camping and hiking adventures in his/her future!

Snow in the Rockies

A photo taken from our balcony early last week after the first big snow fall in the mountains!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving to you all!
We celebrated the day with a delicious turkey dinner with all the fixins at Shari's place. We devoured sweet potatoes, squash, parsnips, mashed potatoes, stuffing, fresh bread - all smothered in gravy! And not too forget yummy pumpkin cheesecake for dessert. Even Jenna and Bree enjoyed a puree version of turkey and squash! A big thanks to Shari and Brent for having us over for a fantastic Thanksgiving Day dinner!

Today we've been greeted with a blanket of fresh snow covering the city and it's still blowing and snowing like crazy! Highs today of minus 6 with a windchill of minus 14. I'm loving the early start to winter, but they call for highs of 19 on Saturday. Go figure. Gotta love this mountain weather!

Little Canaussie is doing well and getting bigger. Thanks very much for all your lovely wishes of congrats. Stay warm...

The view from our balcony at 7:30 this morning...it's still snowing.

Some exciting news...from us to you!

Our move to Canada has been a big change
New jobs, new car, new condo to arrange
Trips to the mountains and lots of snow
Camping and biking we did go.

Now - our greatest adventure is here before us
No foreign destination, no plane or train - not even a bus.

A beautiful gift of a small size
In April next year we’ll have a surprise
Perhaps a boy or maybe a girl
This bundle of joy will change our world

We are very excited to finally share with you
That a little ‘Canaussie’ chick or dude -
Will soon be with us and that’s great news
The Augustine clan will soon have someone new.

Golfing in the Mountains!

Lindsay enjoyed a round of golf with Brent and Kyle in Kananaskis on Sunday. It was a chilly round as the morning brought snow to the peaks of the surrounding mountains. What a beautiful course - no word on who won though!

A day in the mountains

Mum and Dad arrived on Wednesday for a three week holiday in the mountains. Lindsay and I spent a gorgeous day with them yesterday. We began with a market trip to Millarville and a Buckeroo breaky. We then scooted out to the Rockies, to Canmore for a little shopping and a pub lunch at The Iron Goat, with an awesome view of the mountains. A short hike around Quarry Lake in the beautiful sunshine, before returning home to our favourtie cafe, The Purple Perk, for some much deserved dessert. Mum and dad leave tomorrow for tour of BC and Vancouver Island. We are all heading to the Snider's home for a BBQ this afternoon. Mum and dad have been enjoying their time with Aidan, Maelle, Bree and Jenna and of course seeing Shari's new home as well as Lindsay's and I's new place!

One year on...

Hello to you all!
It is hard to believe that Lindsay and I have been in Canada now for just over one year. It has been a very busy year - finding new jobs, a place to live, settling into a 'Canadian' lifestyle. We've had are fair share of ups and downs that come with any big life move - but we have survived (even if just barely). I'll give you a brief update of the last 12 months - we are now home owners - a fantastic two bedroom condo in downtown Calgary (and on a good day we even have a view of the mountians from our balcony!), both of us are taking a break from teaching - I'm still in education as a Director of Education for Sylvan Learning and Lindsay is working in Human Resources doing a fair bit of training for a staff at a posh office design store. We have still managed a little adventure with the Rockies at our doorstep - we've been camping, mountain biking (nothing like the widing roads of England), golfing and spending time with family.
We've tried to keep in touch with friends and family, but with time change and life - well it does make it rather difficult. We do think of everyone often and miss you very much. I'm hoping to keep this blog a regular part of life - keeping the rest of you in touch what we are getting up to over here in Canada! So enjoy the funny tales and photos of course!
Take care