January 2011 – This was a super busy and extremely exciting month for us!
The first day started off VERY special! We got to meet our Family’s newest addition- Leo Michael Morgan. We were so happy to meet Dannie and Dayna’s first child, proud to be called Auntie and Uncle, and extremely honored to be his Godparents!
Next up was the BIG MOVE to our very first home! We moved on the coldest of weekends - it was -40 C with the windchill. That made the boys move even quicker and they were rewarded with some hot Tim's! The move went off without a hitch and we were ecstatic to be into our house. The process took just over a year from the first signature to the last one - with not too many problems in between!
Next up, we had our very first House Guests! Tammy and Al flew up from Florida for an extended weekend! Unfortunately it was EXTREMELY freezing so most of our outdoor plans were foiled, but that did not impact on our fun times we had with them! We were excited to show of our new home and can't wait until they head North again - next time maybe in warmer months!
February 2011
More cold temperatures!! We celebrated the birth of Leo with a shower hosted by Leo's fabulous Aunt's (Devon, Ashlan and Becky). It was a great day, after all, any day getting to snuggle a baby is a great day! Becky worked hard on perfecting Lion and Lamb cupcakes to celebrate this special occasion!
Mike and Becky were super excited to attend the 2011 Heritage Classic, Calgary Flames VS. Montreal Canadians - it was a cold one, but super exciting to be a part of an Outdoor NHL game!
We finished off the month by saying good bye to Ashlan and her boyfriend Sam – they were heading out on an incredible journey to India, Nepal, Indonesia, and New Zealand, just to name a few! It was very hard to say good bye – but at the same time exciting to see them continue to live for their passion! We love them and can’t wait to see them again, some day!!
March 2011
Started out the month with very exciting news! Devon and Carey got engaged while away in San Francisco – a July 2012 wedding to look forward to!
We celebrated Grace’s 5th Birthday party – we had over 25 people for our “First Official Party”. Mike’s parents made the 18-hour drive from Minnesota to join us in the celebrations! It was a fun day for all who were able to join us!
April 2011
April brought the arrival of the newest member of the Harper Family – an 8-week-old Black lab that we named Easton. We had not planned on getting a puppy yet, but this little guy needed a home and his face was too cute to resist!
Our family became famous! Well not really, but we were featured in the Home Section of the Calgary Herald. A photographer came out and took a few pictures of us and we ended up of the front page of the Home section with an article to match!
May 2011
Grace was signed up for her first year of t-ball, with Becky being one of the Coaches. It seemed like a long season of kids playing in the dirt, trying to catch butterflies, scratching mosquito bites, and parents who knew EVERYTHING about the sport! Come on people – the kids are 5! Needless to say, this was Becky’s final year of coaching t-ball!
We also celebrated Mike’s 33rd birthday with a get together at our house. Another great evening with friends and family!
June 2011
The last month of school before Summer Vacation!!!! Grace was wrapping up her first year of school – Junior Kindergarten – she did great!
Mike was also finishing up another busy year of teaching and looking forward to the down time!
The girls headed North to Ponoka to be in the parade for the Ponoka Stampede. It was fun, however Grace was most excited about riding in the back of the truck with no seatbelts!
July 2011
YAHOO!!! Stampede time in Cow Town! Mike was extremely busy as he volunteers during the 10 days of Stampede. He dresses up as a mascot and entertains guests at “Rope Square” which is downtown. The girls headed down to take in the festivities and to grab a “nice” family photo!
We attended 3 weddings this month and also celebrated our 9th wedding anniversary! We went out for a beautiful dinner, just the 2 of us at the River Café on Prince’s Island. We both forgot what it was like to eat 3 courses and eating while it’s hot!
July also brought grass and a tree to our front yard! Our homebuilder completed our street of grass, trees and shrubs. It is amazing how much nicer our street looks with grass!
August 2011
This year we decided not to take any major vacations – but at the last minute we decided that a quick trip to Vancouver would be nice! We stayed with Becky’s cousins. It was a nice relaxing vacation – that was filled with Stanley Park, Lynn Canyon, Whiterock Beach, and an interesting drive down East Hastings! We even took a quick drive down to Washington for a trip to Target.
We were fortunate to be able to celebrate Becky’s Great Aunt’s 90th birthday. Joyce partied like a rockstar at Bev and Norm’s with friends and relatives from Edmonton, Calgary, California and everywhere in between. It was a great day, and we were so happy to be part of it!
September 2011
Summer over already? This can only mean that work was starting again for Mike.
Grace was starting Kindergarten at her new school in Airdrie. Big changes for Grace – she now had to walk to a bus stop, and she was taking a big yellow school bus to class! Exciting times!!
Mike, Becky, Bev, and Norm went to Edmonton for a family wedding. It was a beautiful wedding, and the girls were able to have a fantastic time as they stayed home with a good friend of ours.
We celebrated Olivia’s 2nd birthday! She has made so many steps in becoming a big girl – she is walking, and is able to express herself, not always in words – sometimes growls!
October 2011
Another crazy month for the Harper’s – Grace was in full swing of school, baton and hockey was about to start. Grace was making friends easily at school and she had 4 birthday parties to attend in the month of October!
Norm and Bev headed south for a vacation and Bev ran in a ½ marathon in South Dakota. She did fantastic, and finished quicker then she did her first ½ marathon.
We had Olivia’s birthday party, and she was spoiled as usual, and had a great time with all her friends and family.
Becky celebrated her 32nd birthday was equally spoiled – she is no longer constantly dropping hints to anyone who is listening for an iPad 2!
The girls enjoyed being Thing 1 and Thing 2 this year for Halloween and Becky enjoyed making their costumes.
November 2011
November brought a trip North to Edmonton for the Canadian Final’s Rodeo. It’s always a great rodeo and we love going!
Upon return, Norm was scheduled for knee replacement surgery. Becky and the girls spent some time in Calgary with Bev and Norm to help in the recovery process. Due to the surgery Norm was no longer able to volunteer at the Flames Games, so Mike was glad to snap up that opportunity. Mike is doing so well that he will stay on once Norm has recovered. He enjoys it – afterall, he gets to sit in the press box and watch the games!
December 2011
Christmas season is upon us, which means FAMILY! We are fortunate to be able to spend lots of time together.
Grace had her very first hockey tournament – she had so much fun, and she was so fun to watch!
Olivia was getting excited about the holidays and was pretty into it this year. She still was not fond of Santa, and we had to get a group picture at Bass pro shop!
Christmas Eve started with a candlelight service, then was spent at our place with family, The Rogers’, The Morgan’s, The Maillot’s, and The Little’s. We enjoyed a trip to see the Festival of lights!
Christmas Day was a busy day of present opening at our place first, and then into Nana and Gpa or as Olivia calls him – Bubba! We had a fantastic dinner there and we were all spoiled rotten!
Now we are enjoying the last few days of 2011 – a few birthdays to squeeze in, and then we will toast the New Year!
Here’s to a most fabulous 2012, let it bring health, love, and peace! Looking forward to more time with family and friends!
