Hello Family and Friends,

Greetings from the Hill Family in Manotick! Christmas is around the corner and as another wonderful year comes to an end, it is time for our annual Christmas letter.

We will be spending the holiday season here at home with Mom and John and maybe my brother Derek. We are eagerly anticipating the trip-trap of tiny hooves on the roof and the ho ho ho of a jolly old soul coming down the chimney. Lexi and Jack are both full of wonder (and sometimes terror) of Santa Claus and can hardly wait for the big day- Christmas! Throughout the year Lexi inquires if it is Christmas yet and I say, “No, not until we have lots of snow!” I had to retract that statement this year with a record snowfall in October and the construction of four large snowmen before Halloween. We had our first visit with Santa in November. Lexi smiled adoringly and Jack would not go within five metres of him.

Our Christmas letter photo was taken on Thanksgiving weekend. We are sitting on our deck overlooking our yard and the golf course behind our property. It is a tranquil setting that is beautiful throughout the year and we love it.

Our days are busy, busy, busy. Lexi attends nursery school three mornings a week and she loves it. Her favourite activity is the daily craft and as you can imagine our kitchen is adorned with her artwork. She has many friends and is always trying to decide who should come to her birthday party (her birthday is in April). Lexi is taking swimming lessons and has just passed her Aqua-quest Level Two. She learned to swim in her best friend’s pool this summer and hasn’t looked back. Lexi is also taking figure skating lessons and is almost ready to head to the canal for Beavertails and hot chocolate. Lexi continues to love chatting on the phone, especially to her grandparents- what does this spell for the future?!

Jack attends nursery school one morning each week. He is the youngest in the class, but this doesn’t bother him… he is used to dealing with his older sister and won’t let anyone take anything from him, if he had it first. Jack and I go to a playgroup on Tuesdays and aerobic classes several mornings each week. Jack is an early riser and wakes up full of energy, ready to play. His passions in life are firetrucks and choo choos. He keeps us on our toes, such as the time when we were in Florida and he hid Grandpa’s remote control in the VCR.

Besides being a stay-at-home mom, I am keeping busy overseeing the North Gower Co-operative Nursery School. I am the president. I am enjoying keeping my hand in education and I am getting to know lots of other moms. My daily run has been replaced by lots and lots of walking. A stranger stopped his car the other day and asked if my stroller has an odometer and what was it at because he sees the kids and me out so often. My double-stroller is worth its weight in gold. I have even converted Paul into a walking enthusiast and this was no easy task! I am building a network of great friends, all who have kids close in age to mine. We try to get out for dinner as a group as often as possible, to discuss what else- our kids (and sometime other stuff too).

Needless to say, Paisley the dog gets lots of exercise. After naptime each day we take Paisley out for a trek around the neighbourhood or onto the golf course (depending on the season). Our rule of thumb for winter afternoons is as follows: If it is -20 c or warmer, we go out and it is never too hot to go walking in Ottawa. At the end of March, -9 c is considered balmy. Last winter we rigged a harness to the toboggan and Paisley pulled the kids around the golf course until the snow got too deep. At age five, Paisley has mellowed- he will even allow the kids to sit on him and hug him while he patiently sits. We have given up on the idea of getting a second dog. Instead, Paisley has playdates with his best friend Tired (short for Dog-Tired) and we exchange dog-sitting with Tired’s parents.

Paul continues his rise to the top at Cognos. In October, after two years of hard work and lots of business travel, Paul was promoted to Vice President of Strategic Partners and Marketing Programs. He is the youngest V.P. in company history, but shhh, don’t tell anyone his age- his graying hair gives him a look of sophistication, but we all know he just turned 31! Paul has become a Senators’ fan and has purchased tickets for five home games.

With Paul’s travel came lots of air miles and travel for our family. Last March we took the kids to Walt Disney World and had a terrific time. In July, while Paul travelled from San Francisco to Toronto to London to home in the span of six days, I took the kids to Saint John to visit with my sister Miriam and her kids (she had a baby girl in April, which makes her family complete with three kids). In August we took the scenic route through Algonquin Park to Muskoka where we rented Paul’s cousin’s cottage with friends for ten days. Finally, in November, in anticipation of a long winter, we escaped to Palm Island in Florida with a vacation with Dad and Jane.

We are continuing to make improvements to our house. Some big improvements include: a new wood burning fireplace insert in the family room, new garage doors and openers, lots of landscaping, a refinished deck, a newly decorated kitchen with refinished hardwood floors and some new furniture. After two years, it really feels like home.

I hope all is well with your family and that you all have a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

With love,

Lianne, Paul, Lexi and Jack