R & R

I love the holidays!! Here's my list of top 10 things to love about this time of year.

1. Time to spend with family and friends.
2. New games and fun filled times playing.
3. Food - shortbread, chocolate, appetizers - it's all good!
4. Decorations from years past and the stories to go with them.
5. Photo ops - abundantly!
6. Sleeping in and staying up late.
7. New movies to watch.
8. The music of the season.
9. Lights - inside on the tree, outside on houses and bushes, candles.
10. Letters, cards and messages from far and near.

Here is Meadow on Christmas Eve, all ready for bed!


And Meadow with her Mom and Dad at the end of a busy day. We missed the Christmas dress portrait but hopefully we can restage it later this week.

Bob went snowmobiling near Rocky Mountain House today with Darrin, Ed, and Larry. They had fun and have many stories to tell, including one about pulling 2 machines to the top of a hill, using tow ropes. He was very tired so I didn't get a chance to ask if he took any pictures. Hopefully!!! Mel and Tyler went shopping today while I hung out with my sister for the day. We scrapbooked a little, created a bunch of cards and had a great visit.

I hope your holidays are as enjoyable as mine!!

Merry Christmas

It's been a marvelous few days of Christmas celebrations with our family! The last few days of school were a blur of busy-ness but everything got accomplished, with only a few very late nights in between. On Saturday we celebrated with my family at my parents' place, including bowling for a few hours. Then on Sunday our kids came for dinner and we opened presents. After Darrin and Kelsey left for Calgary, some of us went to Christmas Eve service and then we spent the evening eating and playing a few games. It was a wonderful day with the people who matter most to us.
Having grandchildren certainly changes one's outlook on Christmas!! We were all so entertained by Meadow and her smiles. She looked very grownup in her little red plaid dress, matching tam, and black patent shoes! I'll have to get a good picture of her to share. She loved chewing on bows and playing on a blanket on the floor. Helayna had a very long nap while we opened presents and then we got to cuddle with her most of the evening. I was quite content to watch the two of them and revel in their perfectness.

Yesterday we celebrated our neice's 21st birthday with a pool party, which was a great deal of fun. Waterslides, hot tub, food and games made for an evening full of laughs. My sister does plan good parties!!

Today is a day of setting stuff together, which includes getting the TV/DVD/radio unit mounted under the kitchen cupboard. I am looking forward to watching the news and listening to music while I make supper. Bob thinks I'll want to be in the kitchen all the time - that is so not happening!!

Heather is coming over tomorrow and we are hoping to do some scrapbooking. Yeah!!!! Now I'm off to have a nap and try to get rid of this cold.

I hope that each of you have enjoyed a blessed Christmas, surrounded by those you love and thankful for health, treasures, and special moments.

Christmas Celebration

Bob's family gathered this weekend for fun, food and celebrations. The kitchen counter was a buffet center with Mom's famous perogies and cabbage rolls, turkey, stuff, mashed potatoes, gravy, baked beans(for the vegetarians), creamed peas and carrots, meatballs, 3 kinds of salad plus pickles and buns. It was truly a feast!! Amazing how much variety you can get when each one brings something.

Kelsey baked these marvelous snowflake cookies that were gigantic and a huge hit with the kids. She truly is a baker extraordinaire!! They looked just out of Martha Stewart's kitchen!

And Bob's sister brought a chocolate fountain for dessert. It was fun and looked so cool. Thanks to Mel for capturing the images - she was having fun with the big camera.

Bob got a fancy tire gauge and I came home with a funky Santa figure from the fun gift exchange. Our nieces baked biscotti, made chocolates and dipped pretzels for us - they are so yummy!

Today we had the children's Christmas concert at church and a handbell choir and singers in an evening concert. Busy day! Kelsey also stuffed 2 stockings and wrapped some gifts for me this afternoon before they went home. It was such a huge help - thanks, Girl - you're the best!!

Home Again!

After 28 hours and 4 airports, Mel and Tyler arrived home safely last night.
This reminds me of the days when all our kids were in university and they'd come home in the middle of December for a lovely long holiday.
Mel and Tyler saw Meadow and Naomi today, brought our tree into the house and came to my school concert tonight. And a bit of jet lag is catching up to them so they've headed to bed now.
It's definitely feeling like Christmas now that they are home.
And next week at this time I'll be on the last leg of classes before my break.
I AM looking forward to that!!

Looking Good!!

Well, doesn't she just make you smile?!!!!! These are Meadow's rose colored sunglasses and they totally make her look like a little grownup genius, I think. She is quite happy to have them on and doesn't try to pull them off. Every time we visit with her now we are just amazed at the new things she can do. One of the latest is leaning over and chewing on her toes - it's hilarious!!

Thoughts

"Jesus, please teach me to appreciate what I have,

before time forces me to appreciate what I had"

Susan L. Lenzkes

Creating

Finally this weekend I finished my entry in Mary's circle journal, "Colors". I used this photo I'd taken a few years ago of a sunflower - first time I've used a full page photo - 8 X 8. The journalling talks about yellow things that bring me joy. I broke out the paints and stamps and, following Ali Edwards' advice, didn't worry about it being perfect. I had fun and must remember to make time to create more regularly. Hopefully I can spend lots of time in my studio over the Christmas holidays!


It was a quiet and reflective weekend here. All is good in my life as I pause to remember why Christmas is important in our lives. We are really looking forward to having our whole family home this year - only 2 more weeks!! Happy Preparing this week!

Friday from School

It's been a long time since I shared something about school!! Sorry - it really does occupy the majority of my time, not to mention energy! We are up to our eyeballs in concert practice and excitement. Just a few more practices before Thursday night's performance and it's looking pretty good. Enthusiasm is definitely high and the kids love the program.

This giant tree stands in our foyer as a greeting to everyone.

It really does look beautiful, especially in the evening when it's getting dark outside and you come up the street to the school. Too bad we are at the end of town and very few cars drive by.

The front display case has a favorite Christmas decoration in it from every staff member and this is mine. I got these figures in a gift exchange with my family many years ago and they usually reside on the mantel of our fireplace at home. They will return there but for now they are my contribution to our display. It's fun to see the variety and hear the stories to go with each piece!

And now, I'm off to do a little more shopping and lots of house stuff. Have a lovely weekend, All!

One more week!

Next week at this time Melinda and Tyler will be arriving at the airport from Poland!! We are so excited to have them here for 3 weeks to celebrate the holidays with us. Last year they spent Christmas in Thailand so they didn't see snow all last winter. We will definitely make up for all the fun they missed last year and this winter will definitely make up for the balmy weather they had last December. ! The wind is blowing again and the driveway is nearly drifted shut! Bob went out to a meeting at 7 p.m., I came home at 8:30 and he was back at 10. Each time there were no tracks left and the banks filled everything back in. That was all after he plowed the driveway this afternoon with the tractor! Tonight it's soft snow but I'm not sure what it will be like by morning. And the 2 mile stretch up to the highway was also very bad - worse than I've seen it in many winters. I guess I better start out extra early in the morning.

Thoughts

Beauty is not in the face:
beauty is a light in the heart.
(Khalil Gibran)

Beyond talent lie all the usual words:
discipline, love, luck -
but most of all,
endurance.
(James Arthur Baldwin)

Baby Shower Fun

Yesterday Naomi hosted a baby shower for Helayna and Heather so we all got to cuddle her alot! She is totally going to be a princess diva, with all the pink fur things she received for gifts! Clothes, books and toys abounded as family and friends shared new things for her. She even got a 2' high doll!! It was a lovely afternoon, visiting and eating. Here are a few pictures from our day.

DonaMae (a close friend of mine) holding Helayna

My Mom and Dad with their second great granddaughter
Can you tell my Mom is delighted?!

But I miss them again - it's really hard to send them home when you know that it's going to be a few weeks before you can connect again.

And the bad news is ----- on the way back to Calgary, Highway 2 was closed because of an accident so they had to stay overnight in Red Deer at a motel. Thankfully they were safe but Jonathan was teaching a class at 11 this morning so hopefully they made it back in time. Winter roads in Alberta!!!

Winter Wonderland

Here are a few pictures of sweet Helayna - hanging out with Gramma while Mom and Dad went out for supper and then cuddling with Grampa in front of the fire after a long drive up from Calgary. It was wonderful to see her and have her visit us!!






It will be awesome to have her (and her parents!) here again in a month for Christmas. We are going to a baby shower for her on Sunday - have to do some shopping tomorrow after school.

And more good news - the outside temperature has moderated but now it's snowing again. Winter!!!