Christmas!!

Well, Christmas is done, but not totally for our family. We celebrate Ukranian Christmas on Jan 7. The kids got quite the load of presents this year, we were glad we had the truck. The kids are all having fun playing with new toys, trying to figure out how they work and how they break.

Ben is getting ready for school on the 5th, even though they have yet to announce his schedule. He will be going to school Monday - Friday and working at Cooper's on Saturday to increase the little income we will be getting from EI.

I have rearranged upstairs and turned half of Noah's room into a playroom for the girls so that their enormous amount of toys can be better contained and out of sight. Also so that I don't have to watch Tinkerbell or other movies over and over and over again.

The highlight of Ben's christmas was a book his mother bought him about mustangs, and a game for the wii that we got. My highlights were a wall hanging of a family from Ben and a FHE board from Ben's brother and sister-in-law.

Now we are preparing for the new year as it promises to be interesting and eventful. Hopefully Ben will have his AST License by Christmas 2009 and that means we will be getting wage increases this year as he advances. I will be preparing to make a final decision on homeschooling before September when Mikayla is supposed to start preschool. And the kids are all going to grow and have fun.

Mikayla had her last day of Nursery at church and starts Sunbeams on Sunday. She is very excited. Lana will be in Nursery by herself until August when Noah joins her.

Joyeaux Noel!!

Happy Holidays

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

Walker Children 2008

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

Happy Anniversary

Well Today Ben & I have been married 4 years. Before I get to that let me play catch up. On Dec 6 it was German St Nikolas Day. We celebrated by going to Breakfast with St Nick. It was actually the girls primary party but went perfectly with the day's theme. Each of the kids got a new outfit and Ben got a flashlight for his mechanics. This is the only time we talk about Santa with our kids. For Christmas we do not use Santa. We focus on Christ and the gift of giving. Throughout December we do little service projects and try to show our children the true spirit of christmas.

So back to our anniversary. We have been married (civilly) for 4 wonderful years. In that time we have been blessed with 3 wonderful children and a deep friendship and love for one another.
We are putting the kids to bed early tonight so that we can enjoy a candlelight dinner together. Tomorrow Grandma Walker is going to watch the kids while we go out. Then on tuesday we are watching Ben's niece and nephew while Grandma & Grandpa Walker go to the temple to celebrate their 30th temple anniversary. I look forward to when Ben & I can say we've been together for that long.


Happy Anniversary!!!!!

Love you all.
Virginia

Year End Update

So yet another year is coming to an end. I sit here reflecting on what this year has brought.
Well the easiest way do remember the year is to think about each month. On Feb 9 we were priviledged to meet Noah Jared Walker who was born in Lethbridge at 3:46pm weighing 7lbs, 20 1/2 inches. Ben was shocked, then excited to finally have a boy.
In July Ben turned 26 and made me promise never to try to throw him a surprise party again.
August brought the girls' birthdays. Mikayla turned 3 and Lana turned 2. They are growing like weeds and are becoming wonderful little ladies. In September I turned 22 and was priviledged to be taken out for a child-free birthday dinner.
Now we are preparing for christmas and changes that the new year will bring. Ben starts his third year Technical training on Jan 5 for 8 weeks. We are praying that the financial support we recieve will be enough to supportr our family.
We are looking forward to the Christmas season , as we focus on our Savior and serve our fellow community members.
We have started a new tradition for FHE. Every other week we go to Ben's parents house for a combined FHE. It has worked well and we look forward to continuing. We have a service project planned for our next combined FHE. We are going to take cookies to some families.

The girls and I put up the Christmas Tree this week and we are all looking forward to German Christmas on Dec 6, for which the kids each get an outfit. Then we look forward to Christmas when we get to see Emma & Dave, my stepsister and her husband, and 2 of three sets of grandparents on the same day. Then we get to have a cultural Christmas on Jan 7 for Ukranian Christmas, when Grandma Walker makes all sorts of yummy, traditional food.

We hope that the new year brings joy and happiness. And that we may all find harmony and peace in our lives.

Love,
The Walkers
Ben, Virginia, Mikayla, Lana & Noah.