Thursday, January 20, 2011

My Christmas holidays

I had intentions of being diligent and adding to my blog regularly. But my excuse is that I misplaced my camera so can’t add any photos of my Christmas and New Year. So I’m going to blog now and add pictures later. I think I brought my camera to my workshop and it got buried somewhere. I’m going to take before and after pictures and amaze you all with my organizing skills in the workshop! But what an organizer, I can’t even find my camera. But I have to say that I just found the charger (in the camera bag!!!—go figure!!)
Christmas was great as usual. But extra special this year. My oldest daughter Susy and her husband and my granddaughter Lily came for 10 days. Plus my other daughter Billie and her son, Levi (my favourite grandson). Because it was my parents 60th Anniversary my sisters Louise and Janie travelled from Alberta, brother Raymond from B.C. brother David and wife Louise from White River, and their daughter, my niece Liisa from Northern Manitoba. So we had lots of company coming and going and staying for a night here and there.
Of course Christmas morning was great. Levi always gets so excited, that he doesn’t sleep well, then sleeps in and needs to be woken up. He was really happy with his West 49 designer duds and 2 of the big Lego Star wars ships he asked for. (Had to draw the line at the big one for $599.99!!) Even Santa’s not that rich. Lily was 18 months in December, so wasn’t sure what it was all about. And was just happy to play with the first toy she opened. We saved the little electric ATV until the last. She figured that out pretty quick, but still needs some practise in steering, and slowing down before the wall, or dog, or Christmas tree gets in her way.
I’ll show pictures of all of the stockings later. Over the years I have made everyone a felt stocking from Merry Maxim with all the beads and sequins. About 15 yrs. ago during the mad rush Christmas Eve to fill all the stockings and realizing that was one of the tasks that hadn’t gotten done. So the next year I asked everyone, including DH to buy or make something for each of our stockings for about $5.00 ea. This has turned out really fun, and is a challenge to find something really cool and not go over the budget. Of course not all the gifts fit in the stockings, so I have made “over-flow bags”. Just fabric bags about 15” square with a loop on one corner to hang behind the stocking. Nothing fancy, just a bit of left over Christmas fabric.
I received some really nice gifts, a homemade rag rug from a local crafter, a poodle pin for my collection, doggy salt and peppers for another doggy collection and an iPod to work out with. Some gifts from my quilty friends included, charm packs, a beautiful sewn apron, and high heel cake server, baking and tea in a collector tin. So thanks everyone, I really appreciate all the thought and effort put into these special gifts. But the best gift of all is having my family here!
We usually spend New Year’s Eve with my friends Janice and Alan, Janice and Wayne, and Karen and Peter at their home. We have pot luck for supper or order Chinese, or anything that makes it easy and fast for us. This year Karen did most of the work, and just asked us to bring a little portion. My share was desert from M&M’s. Us girls all agreed that she should share the load more, but that didn’t go over well! There always seems to be a hockey game on that night, so DH and Clint stayed home and watched TV while Susy, Lily and I went to join the festivities. Once supper was over Susy had to leave to put Lily to bed, but we all got to enjoy her. I don’t mean to brag, but I have the cutest granddaughter, and they were all jealous! Ha Ha, I can say that because she is the youngest. Janice and Alan have just welcomed two little girls into their family, but are past the baby stage. Once the food was all gobbled down the wine was opened and the dimes pulled out and we started our traditional card game. (31, who wants to think too much when there is so much talking to do!) We are such party people, I brought a 375 ml. bottle of wine, and when I left at 2am I had drank half of it!
On January 2nd everyone went home and my house was empty again. Then I got the flu for a few days. Happy New Year!!

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