There are two video clips combined here, the first is just an audio of Bridgette giggling. Bridgette’s cute little giggle hasn’t changed much since she was first able to giggle. We just love it!
The second clip shows Megan’s strategy for getting high totals on the dice.
Movie: Commedy 2006(5mb)
While in Warroad, Betty invited our family over to their farm to see the miniature horses.
I was just sent this video clip from Johan, it’s pretty funny (but it’s in Afrikaans).
Hijacking hotspot
Megan and Bridgette both love hammering. We’re often in Home Depot doing one their kids projects like building a bird-house, little shelf, caddy etc. The girls were helping me build a little table for them in the play-room. They enjoyed measuring and marking the lengths etc. Megan’s most favorite part was hammering in the nails, she nailed the entire back panel with about twenty nails all by herself (well, I had to get the nails in). Movie: Daddy’s little helper
Some of you might be tired of the ATV articles by now, you can skip this one, BUT it is worth taking a look at the “Stop in the name of the law” video, it’s fantastic. I love what little kids come up with.
Bridgette has a unique style of driving the ATV, she doesn’t use her hands, and she’s more interested in the plastic little intercom, but it has to go FAST. Very FAST. The first video clip is of Bridgette going in circles, every now and then she looks up to see where she’s at. It’s pretty cute! Then the hilarious second clip. You’ll just have to watch, it’s fun!
Movie: Going in circles
Movie: Stop in the name of the law!
I suppose many of you know by now that there is a subway just up the road, and when we have a warm day in the middle of winter - we’re off. 
Megan got a scooter for her birthday (a princess one - of course) and this was the first time she had a chance to use it. She was a little awkward at first, but had got the hang of it by the time we headed back. It must have been close to sixty degrees today, and last year this time we were buried under almost a foot of snow. Bridgette is not interested in pedalling her tricycle. She prefers Daddy-power. Movie: Scootering (700kb)
The girls were busy putting frosting on the little cupcakes they had helped Mommy bake earlier today. They both love sampling whatever is in the bowl. One day Bridgette sampled every ingredient that went into the buttermilk rusks, flour, salt, sugar, butter, oil, buttermilk, raw eggs (beaten and unbeaten) and the only thing she didn’t prefer was the buttermilk. Megan has grown a little more cautious over the years. She only samples what she thinks is safe. She did get a good chuckle when her sister tried the salt. On another occassion we were at Wendy’s restaurant, Bridgette wanted to try the salt, and the pepper. I put a little of each in her hand. She ate them both and said she liked them and wanted more, so I gave her a little more pepper, at that she licked the pepper off her hand, but that was a little too intense for her. She’s just too funny and really serious about sampling various foods.
Movie: Sampling and frosting (1mb)
Megan is really enjoying the lego. She likes to construct the items right from the instructions. She almost completed this little helicopter by herself. I need need to help a few times, but it is mostly her construction. Megan building her helicopter (600kb)
If there’s one thing we’ve learnt about the snow in Minnesota, and that is, Enjoy It! Since Subway is so close we figured we could get there in the girls ATV. So we wired it up and let them go. Bridgette hung on for dear life as Megan fearlessly challenge the snow covered paths. The road wasn’t really covered in snow, but the paths were. She even got to spin out! So we took an eight minute drive to Subway. Parked the ATV outside and walked in. They were so good and ate a lot of food. The cold probably made them hungry.
And we headed on back this is when Megan spun the ATV out doing a 180 and poor Bridgette was left hanging over the side. They were all fine and thoroughly enjoyed the trip back. Brett I think also quite enjoyed this novel trip (after the initial surprise at the whole concept). This time we even have a little movie: Megan and Bridgette ATVing in the Snow (500kb)
Some of our bowlers… we didn’t get everyone on film, but this was some of the team of about 14 children and 9 adults.
It’s was quite a lot of fun. Baby Simon also pretended to be a human bowling ball and went for a trip down the alley only to be stopped from actually bumping over the pins by Eileen who bravely lept to save Simon (injuring herself in the process). Everyone enjoyed the bowling, I don’t think anyone finished, but some of the guys (myself, Brian and Brett) managed to chalk up a few frames for the kids. Aunty Tammy quite enjoyed the bowling too… uh where is Aunty Tammy? This was Uncle Brett’s first time bowling too. We think he had lots of fun, even if he had to jump over little toddlers all the time.
Here are some movies to:
1) Megan’s bowling dance (600kb)
2) Jack goes blowing (600kb)
3) Xavier goes bowling
The only pictures I’m willing to post of the gift openings are that of the two girls - who were the only presentable ones on Christmas morning. They were both spolit with many beautiful gifts from many people. Megan quite enjoyed her “Hello Kitty” radio, and played Christmas songs for us the whole day - her very favorite was “We wish you a merry Christmas.” 
Bridgette on the other hand really liked her tea collection with a picnic basket. Aunty Tammy had sent a porcelain tea set from South Africa for Megan. Megan is very careful with her toys and keeps telling Bridgette not to bump them, because they’re glass. So Bridgtte has always been stuck with the plastic set, while Megan uses the porcelain. To make things a little even, we gave Bridgette a porcelain tea set. She really enjoys her tea set. Movie of Bridgette making tea (900kb)It was a lovely Christmas, we hand’t had Christmas with Brett and Tammy for many years, and the girls had never even met them before… we had a wonderful time - there were plenty of gifts to go around. We’re thankful to have been so blessed this year. We remember that these gifts are only tokens of the great and glorious gift that God our Father gave to us when he sent Jesus Christ to perish for our sins.
Someone sent me this video clip of a very frustrated lady as she tries to fit her groceries in a car that is apparently too small for the task at hand. Play movie (600 kb)
After a little bit of help, Megan caught on to the game of solitaire and quite happily plays all be herself. Bridgette anxiously awaits her turn. It was quite funny watching Bridgette, even Megan thought it was funny, Bridgette really enjoyed making us all laugh. They’re such good sports. Play movie (500 kb)
Saturday afternoon, and we’re off to see Thomas the train. The girls still have no idea where we’re going. Megan has been saying for the past eight months that she might see Thomas before she turns four. She must mention this at least once a week.
So we’re driving through downtown Boone with all the evidence of something going on. Something related to Thomas the train. So this got them talking about Thomas again. So we parked and started walking toward Thomas, we were quite far away and had to cross the train tracks that Thomas was on, looking right at us. Megan was speechless, it took her a few seconds to realize that it was really Thomas - the really useful engine. Megan sees Thomas (600kb download) Megan could hardly keep herself from running all the way there - Bridgette too was impressed, but I don’t think it changed here heart-rate. There weren’t as many people around as I had expected, but there were still alot. 
We were browsing the store while we waited for our boarding time. The girls could each pick one toy. Megan picked out a little pocket watch with which she is very impressed and Bridgette picked out a sippy cup and bowl.
They were really excited and Bridgette sat on the train sipping from her empty sippy cup. We boarded Thomas with enthusiasm. We even got to take a picture with “Mr Conductor.” The train ride was fun (even although it was fifteen minutes out and fifteen minutes back). The scenery was Iowa, corn, corn and more corn, and them some horses and cows. Megan found a friend two cabooses ahead of us that she was waving to through the window.
This park was way cool. They had two climbing walls, tunnels, bridges, lots and lots of sand and even a mini foofy slide - now this was fun. Bridgette was even able to do this with her iron grip. I don’t know if I’ve mentioned this, but our little Bridgette is very strong. Megan was at first a little skeptical about the climbing wall and we talked her through her first climb. We were busy helping Bridgette down the tunnels when Megan came running over, “I did it! I did it!” At first we were a little confused as to what she just accomplished only to find out she climbed up this seven foot wall all by herself. She was very impressed as were we and we captured the occasion (the second attempt anyway) on film.
Movie: Megan does rock climbing. (630kb download). Bridgette even tried the rock climbing on the smaller wall which she thoroughly enjoyed. She got a little scared close the top but she managed to climb up all by herself.