Vancouver, Kamloops, Sun Peaks and Christmas

Hi everyone,
We have been so busy and have had trouble with all the internet connections that it has been hard to put all the info down for you, I am really hoping that I can get some photos on here tonight.

We had an amazing time in Vancouver when we got back from Whistler in Dec, it turned really cold, -5 which is cold for vancouver and it snowed which it doesn't generally do, Vancouver is right on the water which also makes it quite cold. It is a beautiful city surrounded by the coastal mountain range they call it and mountains so high and all snow capped very stunning. We also drove down from Squamish to Vancouver along the Howe Sound its called extremely picturesque drive along an inlet (google Howe Sound) and islands of the mainland have huge mountains with snow caps and the water in the foreground and the fur trees all covered with snow, breathtaking.
We took a trip into Vancouver and had a look at the city which was very cold but very nice.

Then we got picked up by Gord(Kevins cousin) and he drove us to Kamloops, deep in the interior of BC, and cowboy country. It is actually dessert but is also very cold in the winter and was surrounded by snow.
We then went to SunPeaks for 4 days of skiing, (love to show you pictures but am unable with the dial up connection we have will be getting it fixed soon), anyway it was so amazing. Such high mountains, we went up 2000m tby chair lift and took around 30 minutes to get to the bottom of the mountain, there were so many runs and they were all so lovely, its weird seeing all these Christmas trees everywhere covered with snow. Anyway we did alot of skiing, drinking and sitting the hot tub in -28C temps outside it was very surreal, your hair freezes and everything.
Talk more about that later.
From Sun Peaks we were back to Kamloops to stay with Terri and Gord and their 3 kids till Jan3. We had a wonderful christmas with these guys and saw relatives and just had an amazing time. We went to Church on Chrstmas eve and it was snowing and we walked to the church and it was a pretty white wood building and there was a street light over it and it was snowing and there were Christmas lights and it was all sooo pretty. Its actually too cold to melt the snow so it stays like powder, and just brushes of you. We had a beautiful Turkey dinner for christmas and stayed inside because it was a bit cold but I have been cross country skiing on the river (which is snowed over) and on New Years Eve we went tubing at the local ski hill which is like water slides except you go down on snow, its pretty fun but very cold.
We had a huge New Years, lots of Aussie Rum and dancing great fun, visiting at 12.30 with neighbours in the extreme cold, quite crazy.
Can you believe it this year has been the coldest Canada has had in memory and for the first time in memory there is snow on both seaboards Vancouver to New Foundland which is apparently very uncommon.
We finally got to Uxbridge and found it to be not nearly as cold as where we had come from, but there is plenty of snow here, and since last week when we got here there has been another 30cm, and we are expecting more this week, plus freezing temps, fun. Its not really as bad as I thought it would be, everywhere is heated the most annoying thing is dressing and undressing all the time. Its a very strange thing everywhere you go there is tonnes of shoes in peoples foyers and coates and gloves, scarves etc.
The house is fine its in a lovely spot so pretty and we sit and watch the squirrels and birds come down and feed each morning, the kids skate on the lake and I went cross country skiing on the weekend. James has had a great time at the local ski hills snow boarding so they are settling in well. Steph is well which is good and she has settled well into school, James doesn't start school until the end of the month.
My school is very good the kids are amazing and everything looks pretty good there.
Hope all is well with everyone, sorry no photos will add some when I can.
Love The Pratts