For today....

Outside my window...dark....a few Christmas lights still switched on, on neighbours houses...clear skies.

I am thinking...about my Christmas 'wish list'....I think I would like a flask.  (A thermos??) and apart from that I don't know...maybe some art journaling things....

I am thankful...for a lovely weekend filled with fresh air, festive fun and time to relax at home :)  I am also thankful to Kevin and his Mom for the amazing parcel they sent us from Germany!!

In the kitchen...endless foods cooked by Abigail, plenty of festive baking, a big roast dinner tomorrow night :)

I am wearing...my peachy coloured nighty

I am creating...my JYC album - the 4th year I have taken part - and I took time this week to read through the albums from past years :)  Sweet Christmas memories <3 br="br">
I am going...to be busy again this week, but my days are filled with friends, fun and festivity, so I can't complain :)

I am wondering...what will happen in court tomorrow and am hoping P gets the result she wants :)

I am reading...still reading 'Overcoming Dyslexia' - life is so busy that I haven't had much time to read!

I am hoping...Susannahs teacher likes his Christmas gift :)

I am looking forward to...breakfast with Tara and Val this week - catching up with each others news.

I am learning...how good it is to live in town - and ow much easier it makes spending time outdoors in winter!

Around the house...Christmas decorations, pretty lights, home made Christmas crafts - blankets thrown on the sofas, signs of family life :)

I am pondering...my word for 2013 - Direction.

One of my favorite things...working on my Christmas Journal.

A few plans for the rest of the week:  Tomorrow Abby has French class - their Christmas party I believe - and Sam and I are off to the homeschool cookie exchange party - we are taking dreidels and gelt to teach how to play Spin The Dreidel.  Tomorrow night we are having our Christmas dinner - before Abby and Sam leave for their two weeks with their Dad.  Tuesday we have the homeschool group at the library which I am sure will be fairly festive - and then afterwards we are going to C's house for a playdate.  And so it continues in pretty much the same way all week....  :)

Sunday snapshots...

Christophers view from his new apartment in Vancouver - complete with the picture frame and picture of Abby she gave him:

When we took Rosie for a walk today, we stopped off at the ice rink by our house for a while.  Susie skated around in her boots - and then when we got home she persuaded Abby to go with her to the rink again and skate :)  We are so lucky to live right beside a splashpark for Summer, a playground, and an ice rink :)  

Morning coffee:

Craft time:

Abby and Sams snow cave/ snow fort - complete with flag:

Signs of Christmas at home:

Lorraine Marie Fotography..

Lovely pictures by the wonderful Lorraine Marie Fotography

Fun at the Prairie Gardens Christmas Festival :)

We had so much fun today at the Christmas Festival - the balloon modeller was fantastic -a  British guy dressed as an Elf, cracking jokes, singing (terribly lol) and generally entertaining for HOURS!!  

Their lovely garlic dilly potatoes, cookie decorating, indoor snowball fights, train ride with Santa...just a lovely festive afternoon :)  Our friends L and K and their families also came along - it was fun to almost fill the train ride with homeschoolers :)  

Sam with his Santa balloon:

I painted a snow scene on a gourd:

The Elf got santa to tell Abby and Sam that they have to be good and stop fighting with each other until Christmas if they want gifts lol:  

L made a candy cane reindeer lol - C doesn't look too impressed haha :)  

Sam still got to do his favourite gem mining, s they had moved it all indoors:

Abby in her Cookie Monster balloon:

Our friends busy cookie decorating:

Train ride with Santa - and friends:

Abby and I both made wild bird feeders using corn cobs, pea butter and seeds:  

Cookie decorating:

Susie with santa (lol) :

My little pumpkin snowman :)  

Abby and Sam were filmed by Shaw TV several times - with the Elf, while having a snowball fight indoors, AND while cookie decorating - and it will be shown on Shaw TV on Wednesday and Thursday:

Susie throwing a 'snowball' at me:

Sam with his cookie:

Sam throwing a 'snowball' at me:

One of the staff took Abby and Sam with her inside to get hot chocolate and a cookie to give to Santa before our train ride.  The Santa was the guy who normally does the gem mining - the kids know him so well they recognized his voice :)  

My cute little penguin:

And three cute snowmen....so tempted to tag Susie in this on Facebook hahaha:

Abby's cookie:

Abby making a door hanger:

'Elderberry' the Elf:

A Wintery visit to the Prairie Gardens :)

We had never been to the Prairie Gardens in Winter before, but today we headed up to Bon Accord to attend their Christmas Festival.  The farm looks very beautiful in the snow :)  

A package from Germany!! :)

Today we received a package from Laurences German exchange partner and his Mom - we had a lovely week in October having Kevin to stay with us - and are so glad he enjoyed his visit to Canada so much!!!  I was soooo shocked by the parcel though - it was HUGE and so heavy!!!!

We sooo wanted to open it up and see what was in it - but we chose to wait for Laurence to get home from work so he could be there too!!  He didn't get home until 9pm!!

We all sat down and opened the package together and WOW!!   They were so incredibly kind and generous!!!  Just wow!!!  It was filled with gifts, chocolates, home baked cookies and even a bone for Rosie!!!  So nice that they remembered Rosie :)  

We really did get so lucky with Kevin as Laurences exchange partner - it takes a certain kind of person to fit into our crazy life - with so many children, noise, chaos etc etc - but Kevin became one of the family while he was here and it was a delight to have him to stay with us - we can't wait to see him again next year when he hopefully returns to experience Alberta in Summer :)