Happy New Year!!

Well, December has come and gone once again, with all the programs and gift exchanges and family gatherings and turkey. I love Christmas. I love the celebrations. But I'm always so excited to clean up after Christmas and get back to our own little schedule and just live.




We had super cold weather over Christmas with lots of -40C wind-chill. We used our fireplace constantly and drank lots of decadent hot drinks and cozied up under all the throws and blankets that we keep rolled up in a huge wicker basket by the fireplace. We didn't do any travelling in Dec except one very quick trip to Linden the second week of Dec when we went for the big Klassen gathering. I also ordered 'skadoodles' of books from the library for the month of December. We all read and read and read.




I think this was possibly the most low key Christmas we've had, ever, concerning gifts. The children didn't do gifts at school, so it was just a gift for one teacher, Mrs. Boese. And we didn't do gifts with Pat's family except when Alex unexpected came and spent 3 weeks here we all ended up giving him gifts, namely clothes. We did buy Pat's folks a gift though. And then my family didn't get together this year but mom came and spent 10 days with Bren and I. We did give each others families one game and we each got mom something. Then my own little family picked names again with the intention of doing something nice for who we picked each day until Christmas. This got rather humorous by the end! And we did $20 gifts, so nothing huge. It was good.




We got lots of socializing in, too. That's something we miss when we go to Crooked Creek at Christmas so this was special. We had supper one evening at Wendel's with Rennies and my mom. The boys went skating that afternoon too. One evening we had Arlen's and Justyn's over to play games and eat rich food. We had our special Ukrainian friends over another day. And New Year's Eve we went to Shanes with Ed & Cheryl and Arlens. It was just good. So good, in fact, that real life and work and school was a welcome sight to this weary mama.