Olson Family Pictures

-The whole family.-

-Imogen.-

-Jo and her good looking bunch.-

-Zane was pretty proud of his new shirt and tie.-

-The Maley's.-

-Grandma and Grandpa with their princess.-

-Four generations.-

An Olson Christmas

-Grandpa reads the bedtime story, The Night Before Christmas. And, while it was the night before Christmas it took quite a while to calm the excitement in the air and get everyone tucked snug in their beds.-

- Bright and early the next morning...-

-Raith was pleased with his slinky. Probably one of the most 'loved' toys the days following Christmas.-

-Zane loved his new car collection.-

-Kayla spent the morning practising to be a princess.-

-It was a very merry Christmas all round.-

An Andrus Christmas

-Dad reading the Christmas story... just a slightly different version for the young ones among us.-

-Coop not even noticing that his mom has opened yet another one of his gifts. I'm guessing things will be different next year.-

-How the family picture starts out every year.-

-And surprisingly, everyone is looking at the camera. The best family picture all year!-

-30°C

-Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.-

There is beauty to be found in the blistering cold.

First Baby Gift!

We received our first baby gift... thanks, Katrina! Makes this pregnancy thing all seem a little more real.

The Christmas Tree

-Lights and Ribbon-

Setting up the tree was a momentous occasion this year. Partly because it will be our last year that we may have glass ornaments hung on the lower branches and partly because it had been four years since we'd seen any of our decorations. Setting up the Christmas Tree and decorating the house brought on a mixture of nostalgia and surprise. It was a bit like opening presents on Christmas morning.

-The first decorations.-

No Trev does not have two wives... he just has some great skills in photoshop that allow him to create interesting perspectives.

-Almost finished.-

Trev ceremoniously placing the star on the top of the tree. Umm... I think it might be crooked.

-Our tree, 2009.-

The finished project minus the tree skirt which was being washed due to remnant cat hair.

Christmas Traditions

It's great to be back in Canada for the entirety of the holiday season this year! We are already enjoying the festivities that we've missed so much in years past. And to kick it all off this year Kim, a good friend of mine, and I baked some delicious (not to mention darn good-looking) cookies. Passing them out to friends and family was a treat in and of itself!! A second round of cookies may lay in the near future.

Bring on the season!

Giants Next-door

We've traded in vast fields, hay bales and cows as neighbours. Once more we're surrounded by high-rises and city life. Some would not choose the drastic changes we have as of late. But, as much as we too struggle with change, in the end we enjoy the challenge.

Living in the city again has a few perks, one of them being a chance to shoot urban night scenery. Trev walks by these giants by day and was inspired to capture them by night.

30 Weeks

It's been a while since we've posted belly pictures but if you take a look at the shots I think you'll agree that they were worth the wait. The baby is now 30 weeks old and, according to what we read, growing and changing so quickly. We can now visibly watch the little one roll around and kick in the belly. A friend put it well this week when they said, "it's more entertaining than watching T.V."

Pregnancy and the new life that results are truly miracles!

Last post was at 24 weeks. Click here to see.

Third Place! Congrats Trev!

-A brilliant shot of the evening warmth of summer.-

(Click on the photo above to view in a larger format.)

This summer Trevor entered his first ever photo competition and out of hundreds of entries landed a solid third place. Third place is not so bad for the first time around.

-The newspaper write up.-

This shot of the river valley may look familiar to our regular blog readers as it was featured on our blog back in July before being entered in the contest. For those of you who are familiar with the Red Deer River valley, this shot was taken near the top of Canyon Ski Hill, just behind my parent's house (the Andrus residence).

The Legislative Assembly of Alberta

-Night at the Legislature. Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.-

Points to Ponder:

• Alberta's Legislature building was build between the years 1907-1913.
  
• The design incorporated elements of Greek, Roman and Egyptian architecture which were meant to symbolize power, permanence and tradition.
• Inhabitants of Fort Edmonton in the 19th century say that the site where the Legislature is now built was once full of pits that were home to thousands of garter snakes. YUCK!
  
• The building cost 4 million dollars. In it's day, that must have been a lot.
• If we were to build the same building today (taking into account the inflation only), the Legislature would cost $91,290,225.33!

-A column, made from southern Albertan sandstone.-

-Build in the Beaux Arts style which originated in Paris.-

An Early Winter

-Berries in the backyard piled high with fresh flakes of snow.-

Winter came a little early this year.
Thank goodness it decided not to stay.

As much as it was magical to watch the snow fall from the sky, clinging to the green leaves still on the trees and piling high on the few remaining flowers, the warmth of the sun and mild temperatures that quickly followed were welcomed with open arms.

-The end of a season for these flowers.-

-The only typical winter shot taken.-

Fall Family Portraits

-Notice the green leaves on the trees and the snow on the ground... hmm... something is wrong here.-

A few shots Trev snapped this Fall for Dave and Karalee. What a cute family!

-Karalee and Coop having some cuddle time.-

-The Andrus Family.-

Thankful for Thanksgiving!

-Cooper and Dawson.-

Yep, it's that time again. Time for snow and sleds, mittens and toques.

Over an uncommonly cold Thanksgiving, we stepped outside for as long as we could bear to snap some shots of D+K's little family. And, while we appreciated the beauty of the fresh blanket of snow, we were also thankful for the roaring fire and woollen slippers awaiting us indoors.

Autumn

-Crabapples on a sunny afternoon walk at the Legislative grounds. Edmonton, Alberta.-

-Suspended.-
One of the few leaves that actually made it from green to red this Fall.

24 Weeks

You've seen our baby inside his/her cozy home, now here is a view of what Baby Olson's home looks like from the outside. I am now 24 weeks and starting to show. Up until our first doctors appointment at 22 weeks, there was really nothing but a little bit of weight gain to hint at a pregnancy. I figure this was a blessing as it was just a few weeks ago that I had to go out and get some new clothes... and I'm glad that I did. Call me a granny but full-belly jeans are not that bad. In fact they are rather comfy. With Thanksgiving just around the corner you should really give them a try. You might be surprised at how much more turkey you can manage to pack away ;)

Debut

-Baby Olson's debut.-
(legs and umbilical chord on the left, head on right side)

We went for our first ultrasound on September 25th at which point I was informed that I was 22 weeks and 3 days along. A bit late for a first ultrasound but as far as we know everything looked fine and our baby is healthy.

With the help of modern technology we looked on as our baby squirmed and kicked. We were amazed at just how much detail you can see with an ultrasound! With our inside view and could see the smallest details from the heart beating (140 beats per minute!), to the stomach and even a full little bladder.

But the most amazing part of the whole experience was when our ultrasound technician told us that our baby's feet were already 3 1/2cm long! I'm still stumped as to how all 28cm of this baby fits inside me!! Amazing!

North of 60°

-The Northern Lights as seen from the Ingram Trail (the beginning of the ice road).-

-Aurora Borealis light up the northern sky.-

Wild Wood Bison

-Wild Wood Bison.-

Trevor had always told me that wild buffalo exist. As I grew up on the prairies buffalo were a part of a legend that I never really thought that terribly hard about. To me the fact that these huge wild beasts could exist alongside modern man was preposterous. Well, okay... so these herds don't exist alongside man... but here are the pictures to prove that on our trip to and from Yellowknife, we came across many wild Wood Bison.

-Swamp, swamp and more swamp. The view on the way to Yellowknife.-

Wood Bison Facts:

• The Wood Bison the largest terrestrial animal in North America.
  
• It is heavier than it's cousin from the plains weighing in at a whopping 900 kg or 2,000 lbs!
• They were believed extinct in the early 1900's until a herd of 200 was found in Alberta in 1957. That herd today is up to over 3,000 bison.
  
• Wood Bison appear on both the endangered species of Canada list, as well as the threatened animals list.

-Grazing Buffalo.-