We wish you a great Christmas and the best for the Millenium. It’s been a really exciting year and were quite happy in our new home. Although living in a construction zone is difficult at times.

Winter just hit the Shuswap! We had 4 to 6 inches of snow on the ground (It is now melting). The view from every window in our strawbale cabin was spectacular. We have a fantastic view of the forest and such privacy we have no curtains on the windows. The house has lots of natural light during the day

The house is entirely heated from our woodstove and logs from dead standing & fallen trees from our property. We are currently building a bathroom and an earthen floor in the basement. The construction progress is slow. It takes more time and money than we expected. It also seems to take more time to build when you live in the place you are building (you have to keep moving stuff all around).

We still need to complete the insulation and improve the distribution of the heat from the basement. We didn’t get the outside walls plastered yet so the strawbale walls will sit exposed this winter. It could get somewhat drafty on the coldest and windiest days.

The kids are really excited about Christmas. They are becoming accustomed to living in the country. After a 6:30AM wake-up call, a bus at 7:19 or a ride with mom and a full day of school, they're usually ready for bed before 9 PM. On the weekends the kids are usually watching movies, playing computer and Nintendo games or having overnights with friends. Lego, Barbie's and books are often seen wherever there's an empty corner. Amanda and her friend helped Dad choose a40 ft. Christmas tree that was cut down to 9 1/2ft(a good fit). This tree is awesome against the backdrop of the 10ft strawbale walls. The straw makes it look a bit like "little House on the Prairie" in here.

We do more activities as a family here. We enjoy swimming, potlucks, dances and coffeehouses with the whole family. We try to visit the coffeehouses in the area. The local musicians perform at the community coffeehouses usually once a month. Great music and a lot of fun, Jono, Amanda & Lori have performed at the local coffeehouses. Will has picked up his guitar to practice and perform in the New Year.

At the school dance Jono made us very proud. A 4-year old fell trying to catch a falling balloon (which contained a ticket for a school shirt) and was crying. Jono gave him his ticket. We then found out that this boy was one of five kids under age 8 in a single parent family.

Jono has played his flute and performed comedian acts at two coffeehouses. Amanda and her friends sang on stage at our Sunnybrae coffeehouse. She also enjoys reading and the 4-H sewing club. Daniel thinks of great inventions and creates Lego masterpieces. He is also reading pokemon stories for fun.

Our neighbours and friends that we have met have been exceptionally kind and helpful. One neighbour pulled our van out of our driveway yesterday with his tractor.

I have been teaching Math and computer college prep courses at a school on the Neskonlith Native Indian reserve. I have to be on my toes teaching computer since it has changed a lot since my courses at Waterloo. I'm teaching 3 new computer courses in the spring! It is a privilege and a pleasure to work with the natives. They are a very pleasant and spiritual race. My colleagues have described the abuse that they and my students experienced when taken from their families as children. I can feel the healing and hopefully my presence will help some to renew the self-confidence that was shaken in their childhood years.

Love

Lori, Will, Jono, Amanda and Daniel