We started our December with a trip to Whitehorse for our Pastoral Study Days. We got to Whitehorse safely, but not in our vehicle! The truck broke down 97kms outside of Teslin. Oil was everywhere so we were definitely not going to figure this one out. But God is good and the first person we flagged down was a man from Whitehorse that was just returning from Edmonton with his new large vehicle! So we all packed in and headed to Teslin to where we called the BCAA. They said they would tow our truck to the nearest repair shop which, in their books, was Teslin. After asking some locals at the store we found out that there was no longer anyone in town that does those kinds of repairs. So Watson Lake was the closest but that wouldn’t work for us as it was in the opposite direction. So we paid the difference to have it towed to Whitehorse. Carlo, the man that drove us all the way to Whitehorse, just happened to live in Riverdale, the same area as our friends that we were staying with. He was so good to us. He sat for an hour in Teslin with us as we figured everything out. We were well taken care of! He wouldn’t even let us give him anything for it. He said, “That’s what we do in the North. I’ve been there myself.” Have to say this is one of the huge things we love about the North, everyone seems to look out for each other. Mostly, we assume, out of necessity but it’s still really reassuring.

Making our Advent wreath at our Advent party with other families from the Holy Family Apostolate.

Lighting the first candle as we bless the advent wreath.

Supper at Boston Pizza! We used Grandma’s treat money we saved up! What a treat!

Snack time, after a swim in the pool at Canada Games Centre in Whitehorse

Celebrating the Feast of St.Nicholas (Dec. 6th) with the Lefebvre’s

Sledding party at the local hill, in Whitehorse on the Feast of St. Nicholas

Celebrating the feast of St.Nicholas. Our friend made a bishop’s hat baked struddle

More stockings when we got home? St.Nicholas was generous this year:)

Gingerbread house making at the REC in Telegraph Creek

Sledding on the little hill behind the RCMP station, next door.

Gianna modelling our new advent wreath, which she helped cut and drill.

Celebrating mommy’s baptism anniversary.

Rhino Hero became an instant hit!

Snowshoe making class

Drilling holes in preparation for filling.

Kateri’s class singing ‘Jingle Bell Rock’ at the school Christmas concert.

All of the students singing ‘We Wish You a Merry Christmas’

It’s a Tahltan band tradition that Santa comes after the annual Christmas dinner and brings a gift for each child in the community. Isaiah really liked Santa as you can see or at least wasn’t sure what to do. 

Aliz was terrified

Gianna just stared at Santa and nodded her head

Kateri told Santa she new he was Mark the RCMP officer!

Skating party at Sawmill Lake

Warming the hot chocolate on a log stove

Christmas tree hunting. We found one!

We performed a Christmas story drama before Christmas Eve Mass

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!

We drove out to Dease Lake to spend Christmas evening with Fr.Bryan. Father Bryan celebrated Christmas Eve Mass in Telegraph Creek and Iskut and Christmas day in Dease Lake & Good Hope Lake. We pulled out Pitchcar Mini, for the first time, only to all be beat by Fr.Bryan! Good times were had by all.

We were able to celebrate Mass the following morning for the Feast of St. Stephen before Father left for Whitehorse, but not before we played a few more games!

We had talked to Fr.Bryan back in the spring about how we are always looking for priests to come up and celebrate Mass in the missions in the diocese, particularly for Christmas and Easter, to ensure that every community is able to have Mass. We were quite surprised when we found out only a few weeks beforehand that it would be Fr.Bryan coming out to our neck of the woods. He is a close friend of ours from our time in Chilliwack and it was very special to have him spend Christmas with us! Thank-you Fr.Bryan for blessing us and all the communities with your presence!!

Kateri had fun with their new face paints.

A new puzzle!

Sledding in Telegraph Crrek

A new car?!

A family puzzle! Worked on by everyone!

We spent tonight watching our home videos that we had taken over the year. What a great way to rejoice in all that we have been blessed with!

As we enter the new year we just wanted to leave you with a small wish, taken from the words of Catherine Doherty from our small flip calendar, “I wish that the coming New Year would be a year of growth in faith; for as you grow in faith, you will grow in love and surrender to God, and that is really all that matters!”