twenty twelve

Every year for the past couple of years I have posted my favourite pictures of the year.  This year was so hard for me to do.  First because I didn't have my computer for the longest time and then because I've been dreading it.  I keep thinking how wonderful it is to be back in Canada.  I love living on a farm and I love that Raven gets to help feed the horses nearly every day and play outside with the cats and dog.  I love my family and spending most of my free time with them but as I look back at these pictures from 2012 I really really miss my adopted home of Bournemouth.  I miss all of my friends back home and I miss all the adventures we had as a family.  But alas!  Its time to look back and see my favourite pictures and memories of our last year there.  I hope we will be regular visitors.

Raven's first camera.  She loves taking pictures of her feet.

We love it when Aunty Lara came to visit.  Maybe one day we can visit her in Oz.

Beach day with daddy's football boys

I'm sun tanning my face.  Well not really because there was probably no sun that day.

I was trying out my new camera and Raven was posing for me.  She put a fake snail in her shirt.

I love this picture

Snow in Bournemouth!!  We had to go outside at the crack of dawn to play in it because it disappeared so quick.

My 2012 shoes.  I'm getting quite the collection

Raven painted this of me.  She's quite the artist.

This picture was either Feb or March.  Such a nice day and since Raven's school was 60 seconds from the beach we went there quite often.

We also went to Christchurch harbour a lot.  Its one of our favourite places.

Ya, I don't think I was being overprotective either.

We finally made it to Weymouth on the windiest of days.  We never made it back.

Ah Spain!  We went to Mallorca during Easter and hardly anyone was there.  We loved having most of the small beach to ourselves.

Tip for parents.  On any trip take face paints.  So. Much. Fun.

I was warm that day.  Perhaps that memory will help take me through the next few weeks of dreary March.

That guy cracked me up.

Raven turned 5!!  I love this kid!

Every year we try to have a beach birthday party for Raven but every year the weather isn't great.  So we ended up at the church and we made sandy footprints for all of the kids.

Mardy turned 30!

We had a surprise party for him.  I gave him a new bat for his birthday and told him that we needed to try it out.  When we got there he noticed that there were a lot of people playing baseball.  Turned out to be his friends.  Surprise! 

The party didn't end that night.  We took off the next day for a camping trip.

Matt showed us how to make salmon over a fire.

And then they roughed it in a yurt.  Hannah was pregnant though so I think thats still considered roughing it.

The Olympic torch came through Bournemouth!

Matt and Hannah and 4 day old Verity were there too.

Raven's ballet

Box for sad kids

Oh wait she's happy again.

Raven and her new bike.

such a cool kid

Mardy and Raven's trip to Canada.  She's getting better at driving since we've been back but then again she's getting lots of practice.

BFF's

Raven visiting with Great Grandma Doris and Grandma Lene.

Raven and the Canadian cousins

Raven on Billy Bob with Grandpa Johnny

Monkey world had one of the best playgrounds ever!  We spent most of our time there.

We put Raven into kickboxing and she loved it.  Can't wait to get her signed up here.  I might have to take a class too!!

Ready for school.  Don't have to wear uniforms here.  I think she likes not wearing one better.

Halloween 2012

The past two years Mardy was a cop and I was a convict.  Thought we would change things up a bit.

Mardy graduated from Law school.....with a moustache because grad was in November.

Our traditional picture with Santa.

It only took us a few days to decide to move back to Canada.  But then we remembered that we hadn't been to Scotland yet so we made a mad dash up there.

First stop was the Robin Hood tree.

I love climbing trees but this one I need a lot of help with. Thanks Mardy.

As we were driving along I spotted these guys.  I yelled at Mardy to stop!  I said I needed to get a picture for Johnny!!!!

Edinburg castle

I have no idea when this picture was taken but thought what a funny kid.

These are some of Lara's pictures so they don't fit in the timeline and I'm too lazy to move them.

Raven and her boyfriend.  Maybe one day they will meet again.

Ah young love