Merry Christmas - oh and we have moved into our new home!!

From the Wendling Family we would like to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas.

It has been a very busy year for our family and we are looking forward to the two weeks away from school and work so that we can rest, relax and move into our new house.  If you would like more information about our house check out our blog.

Yes indeed we closed on our house on Friday, December 21st and were able to spend Christmas Eve at our house - and yes Santa did find us!!

Along with moving into our new house we were able to spend time with the Lafontaine Family by having supper and then we had a visit from Pere Noel who brought presents for everyone.

Yet the best present of all was truly being together and spending time as a family - both our family and the extended family.  As our girls get older and more mature we realize that Christmas is truly a special time and that it changes as your family changes. 

Fall of 2012

Summer is gone...Fall has started...the pool is closed...and the Wendling family is well into the school year and their Fall activities.

So how are we doing...well let's go through the family:

Mia has begun Grade 2 and is involved with hockey in Port Colborne and will also continue to dance at Dance Expressions.  Mia continues to bring much energy to everything that she does as well as excitement.

Ariel has begun Grade 5 and is involved with Basketball and in Port Colborne and will also continue to dance at Dance Expressions.  Ariel just finished her first season of travel soccer and greatly improved due to the coaching of her mom.

Matteya has begun Grade 7 and is involved for a 2nd season with CHAOS Hockey out of St. Catharines.  She has moved up a level in teams now playing with a A/BB team and has begun the season with a goal - a pretty wrap around - and 4 assists.  However, Matteya has decided - for pragmatic reasons - that she will focus on her hockey.

Kyara has begun Grade 8 and is involved with both travel volleyball and basketball.  She continues to work on her painting and is improving each week.  Kyara just finished a great soccer season and has already been name the starting goalie for her travel soccer team next year.

Justine has begun Grade 10 and is involved with school sports as well as travel basketball and volleyball.  She had a fantastic grade 9 year finishing the year with a 97% average and winning many academic awards including highest overall average and the French Award.

Rosanne continues to work at St. Antoine Catholic School in Niagara Falls.  She is teaching PE and some Science.  Her teams are getting better and better but her greatest achievement this summer was coaching the U10 soccer team to great success.  She also continues to consult our builders with the many choices needed to build a house and is looking forward to moving into our new house in December.

Kevin after closing St. Mary Catholic School in Brantford is now the Vice-Principal at Holy Trinity in Simcoe.  This school of just over 1000 students serves the towns of Simcoe, Langdon, Dunnville, Waterford and Hagersville.

 So that is an update from our family...as Christmas approaches we promise to let you know how we are doing.

Laff Olympics 2012

As the summer of 2012 comes to end the Lafontaine family, which seems to have more educators then the average family, is able to come together and have this year's version of the Laff Olympics.

The exact history behind the Laff Olympics is uncertain.  Some would argue that the natural competitiveness of the Lafontaine family led them to such an event.  However, if you want a non-factual yet interesting story as to how it started please ask mon oncle Rich pictured above.

The first event of the competition is BOCCE!!  We play this sport out of respect for our Italian friends, who are found throughout the Niagara Region, and because it is a favourite of memere's but also because everyone can play.

Mia demonstrates her form and the intensity which is brought by all to the Olympics.

With so many family members it is difficult for everyone to play at the same time.  So Rosanne and Justine are relaxing in the pool and awaiting their turn to participate.

We were also very blessed during this weekend to have Amy and her boyfriend Jeff join us from Whistler, BC.  The Laff Olympics is not just about competition it is also a time for family to come together.

The second event was a combination event - basketball free throw and swimming.  Again, because the Lafontaine family is extremely talented each team had no problem participating at a high level in this event.  In this event the winning team won by less than one second.  Due to the extremely technical equipment used for timing there were no concerns over the integrity of the race.

Mon oncle J.P. takes a break with this grandson Cameron to wave to the camera.  Truly a glorious day was had by all.

After this event the family took time to have our annual steak and lobster feast.  Matteya and Mikayla are enjoying their lobsters.

Mon oncle Paul is one of the many of cooks that prepared this feast for the family!

Day 2 of the competition saw all the teams participate in the world famous Obstacle Course - which is complete with written, and often with wrongly interpreted, instructions.

Whether its working together on "skiis" as pictured above or collected two different coloured eggs, the teams gave it their all...

To end the day our traditional Golf Match occurred with each team having to put three golf balls into the Knisley pond.  Although this event is usually very tense and full of excitement it was not this year as the competition had already been decided.  Yet, ma tante Anna can be seen playing to the crowd as she "calls her shot".

The Laff Olympics was also a time to celebrate as:

Rosanne and Kevin celebrated their 16th Anniversay...

Michelle and Justin celebrated their engagement (as they will be married next summer)....

Amy celebrated her 28 birthday, (we think)

Justin leaving for the University of Ottawa...to join Alex...

In the end, one team won and three lost.  Let us applaud the champions and await next year's competition...maybe at Michelle's wedding...maybe not.

W5 Makes its Debut in Port Colborne

Not sure if this will be the cover of their first album...but you never know.

Among the many talents that Justine, Kyara, Matteya, Ariel and Mia have is their love to sing, play instruments and to entertain people.  For a number of years that girls have played music instruments, sang around the house and enjoyed music. 

Mia on lead vocals

Ariel on the drums.

As a proud parent I would love to say that Rosanne and I were the inspiration and source of this talent.  However, since neither of us play an instrument and can barely sing we have to chalk up their talents to a higher power and thank God for this gift that they have.

Matteya on guitar

Over the past year the girls have been taking music lessons at the Music Depot here in Port Colborne.  During that time the girls have worked hard, learned alot and wanted to showcase their talent's at the Music Depot's Open House on Sunday, August 12th.

Kyara on the drums

So they got together and create a band - W5 - and in their debut they played three songs:

Mia on the tambourine.

Kyara on the keyboards

Good Time (Owl City and Carly Jae Respen)
More than a Band (Lemonade Mouth)
Love Story (Taylor Swift)

The group playing for the crowd.

So after many weeks of practice and critiques from music teachers and their parents (and a few temper tantrums from Mia) they played - and did a fantastic job.

Justine playing on the piano.

In the audience was mom and dad, me mere, Grandma and Grandpa Wendling, their cousins Mikalya and Madison and many others from Port Colborne.  Everyone was extremely proud of the girls and the great job that they did.

As well, we have two solo artists in the family:

Justine who played Alone Again (Alicia Reid) and Just a Kiss (Lady Antabellum) acoustically, with Melissa Tavano, her teacher.

Matteya who played Veronica (Elvis Costello) and Chasing Cars (Snow Patrol) acoustically, with Jack and teacher from the school.

Both girls did a great job and although we do not have any contract offers yet, they did a fantastic job!!