The good the bad and the ugly...

Lets start with the bad and get that out of the way:
1. We had ice damming that caused water to run into the ceiling and down the wall of the back entrance, and now we have to replace said drywall, repaint and re-stipple. The result? Lots of $$$$$ out the window.

2. The septic backed up. The septic guy promised he could fix it. 315$$$$$ later he tells me he actually can't fix it. I'll have to call a plumber. Just about dumped HIM down the septic tank. ARGH!!!!

3. The city of Edmonton doesn't want to clear the ruts out of the city streets reulting in the 3rd!!!!! Time we've blown the power steering hose bottoming out on the snow packed streets!!! ARGH!!! The result? More $$$$$$$$ we DON'T have!!!! I may send a bill to the city of Edmonton.

4. Hayley just got over a really nasty flu just in time for her and Abby to get the chicken pox. They were vaccinated so I'm stumped. Hmmm.....Kylie also got a rash last night. Don't know if it is chicken pox but if it is it's mild as well. Oh well....at least they're feeling fine and it isn't costing money!!!

The Ugly part....me!!! I'm cranky!!!!

OKay lets move on to the good. We had a wonderful weekend in Jasper. Why were we there? It was the first official share holders meeting for Emcee construction and management. Yes a huge congratulations to my hubby Mr. Stephen Campbell for 10 years with the company and now a 5% owner. WOOHOO!!! Perhaps the dividend check can turn my bad and uglies into goods?? Steve has seen the company go from just a few guys doing home renovations to several employees and subtrades doing major commercial renovations and even now new commercial construction!! What a change in 10 years!

Here are the 5 owners. Mark Lindquist is the one in the middle. He is one of the friends here in Edmonton. His sister is married to our cousin Dan Howden. He is the major share holder and only director. The other 4 are partial owners.



Here are some other pictures of our trip. The guys were in a meeting all day Friday so I just hung out with the kids. Swam with Daph and the kids in the morning, gave the kids naps in the afternoon, visited with Tim's wife and their son in the afternoon as well and then there was a company dinner in the evening. Saturday we swam more, went out for supper with Tim and his wife and son and met Mark and Daph and kids there. Then hung out at the street festival for a bit. Sunday was meeting and lunch in Hinton and then on home. It was so great to get away.

Yes it was an outdoor pool. Quite an experience in the winter, but it was fun. It was like a warm bath. The kids didn't mind it anyhow. They liked jumping in the snow and then into the water.

A little cold on the nose and ears but that's okay.

Lunch time. Mommy and Kylie.

Abby with the cutest little bottle of ketchup.

Our room was beautiful. There was a seperate room you can see behind the couch with these sliding doors to block it off if you want. Then the living room had a big wood burning fireplace in the corner.

At the street festival. Kylie playing a game.

Back at our house. The snow was up to their waist in places.

Trudging through the snow. It's fun for awhile. It is wearing a little thin though. I can't wait for spring when I can open the windows, air out the house, go for a long walk....

Steve out for lunch. He doesn't look tired at all hey?

My baby girl.

So that's about all the news around here. I get to play the piano for Wednesday night gospel meeting the last 2 weeks of February so that should be interesting. I think it's been about 7 years since I've done that. I may be a little rusty. It's a bit tricky on the keyboard as I rely on my footpedal and there isn't one.

Wishing you all pleasant spring-like days.

Love the Campbell family.

Routine....isn't it great.

We'll being the blog with a few random pictures because I am too lazy to put them in their proper place :)

Kylie ran into a door on new years eve and split her head open. Looks pretty minor compared to the copious amounts of blood!

Our table at Christmas. Looks like there is no food (it's hiding) the bottles are sparkling juice :)

Putting together lego. Hey it was Christmas....no need to do our hair right?

Have I not updated since before christmas? Goodness. I'm slacking.

Lets see....the greatest news of the week is that Kylie is no longer needing pull-ups at night. Now.....to get Abby on that bandwagon!!! As a past bed-wetter myself, I'm not seeing that happening in the near future so whatever....she'll grow out of it eventually.

I had a birthday this season. My last one ever. I refuse to acknowledge that I will be 30 next year. We had a lovely family supper at gramma, jess made me a cake. Kids got me some neat gifts. It was a nice night.

My sister is really classy :)

Christmas was lovely, boxing day was not so much. There should be a law against 2 parents getting the flu on the same day. It was 'fend for yoursef' day for the kids. My hubby bought me an iphone for Christmas. I love it!! He's still a blackberry sort of guy but I think mine is better :)

The girls and I made this nifty gingerbread christmas tree. It was YUMMMMMMY!

We also got together with the chatten boys to make gingerbread men. These 8 kids did soooo good. They play so well together. They're all 7 and under.

Steve took the girls skating a few times and we spent a day at the waterpark which was lots of fun. Chelsea LOVEs the waves. She would sit down and let them knock her over and then when they were done she'd get up and run into the deeper pool....so I spent most of my time chasing her around.

Now school has started again and so has the routines of life. I'm looking forward to that. Chelsea woke up at 2:30 this morning and cried until I had to get up at 6. IT was lovely. So I am going to go have a nap while she does. Yes grandmas....I did get up and sit in the rocking chair with her don't worry. I didn't just let her cry:)

Steve got an ipad for Christmas so we all fight over that. Even Chelsea has a game on it.

Love you all

Jen

Sooooo tired

What do you do when you are tired AND hungry? Well.....you sleep eat.

Just a few more of the winter fun around here. Didn't get any of Hayley. She was a wee bit cranky today after a big sleepover.

Hayley's concert

Pretty self explainatory. Hayley's concert. So sweet. The little guy with the glasses is Dawson, her good friend. They ride the bus together, she chases him at recess....Hayley is going to be interesting. She makes friends with the boys much easier than with girls. She's a flirt. At piano lessons she giggles at everything this one boy says and so he purposly does stupid stuff to make her laugh. We have a true blond on our hands. Anyhow, she also read a little poem and did very well. I didn't get a good picture of it since I dropped my camera at Kananaskis this year. Broke the zoom and sometimes it just doesn't want to take pictures. Mom C.....sound familiar??

Christmas is upon us.....

...and with that come the joyous Christmas concerts for the little ones. More pictures and a little video at the end of blog. This one was on Sunday so I guess we shouldn't have gone but we did since there is no gospel meeting. Hayley has a Christmas piano recital and Abby has a preschool Christmas dinner on the same evening, so to make it fair we are going to neither. We are going to go to the teddybear toss hockey game instead. When the oilkings score the first goal everyone throws teddy bears on the ice and it goes to Santa's anonymous. We going with 3 other families. Glen and Jess will be there too but they got free tickets from Glens work so we won't get to sit together.

I guess the tupperware drawer is more fun than the bucket of toys in the living room and the full basement full of toys. Maybe I should dump all the toys in these bottom two drawers?

Chelsea LOVES ceasar salad. Worries me a bit that she'll choke on the lettuce, but it's one way to get greens in her. This is Kylie's bowl she stole. Her pieces are much smaller.

Chelsea also loves being able to eat at the table with the big girls. Our table in now all filled up for supper. It's great! She doesn't even try to escape.

Abby and Kylie just finished and both passed swimming lessons. Only had my camera there for Kylies lessons. She did so great. She's much more risky and adventurous than the other girls.

Chelsea is FINALLY!!!!!! getting used to other people a little bit. She walked around Clymont hall by herself even though there was a crowd and she sat on santas knee with no fuss. I think it might have something to do with the donut in her hand?!

Our shy sweet princess who is either biting her lip or crossing her arms like this :) She's the strong silent type. Until she's angry. Then....WATCH OUT!

Here's our gorgeous oldest. She's the boss of the tribe. A bit munipulative and sneaky about it too. I think she's going to be a real beauty. Watch out boys!!!! In fact, at the Christmas concert she was chasing her friend Dawson all over. Poor boy.

Here's Kylie. Love that crinkle nose smile of hers. It says "I'm trouble but I love life!" She loves everything and everyone and isn't afraid of anything or anyone either. Kylie will have the first broken bone of the 4. Kylie asked santa for a TV!!?????

And I will leave you with a precious little song. The other video is of Kylie and Abby making fun of me as I was singing "Happy holidays......happy holidays....happy holiday Toooooo youuuuu!"