28/12/2012

Christmas Happenings

"For it is good to be children sometimes, and never better than at Christmas, when it's mighty Founder was a child himself"   ~  Charles Dickens
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Book page Table Runner made by my mom and I.
Monday night, for Christmas Eve, we held a Dinner for some of the family who had come early for Christmas Day. My mother made a wonderful Roast Beef dinner and then a Coconut Cake to follow. My cousin's wife, who is originally from England, brought a traditional English Christmas Cake to add as well. It was a really fun night, before the eating began a few of the bravest (or stupidest…who's ever judging!) went out for an hour or two and started a couple ski-doo's for a ride. As with many of our ski-dooing adventures, they spent most of their time trying to coax the oldest ones into starting. It's usually worth it but if I'm not mistaken it was at least 25 below, so if you had a full helmet you were fine, if you didn't…well you'd be lucky if you didn't get frostbite! 
Dinner proceeded and conversation's in the livingroom followed, when everyone headed out into the cold to go home, we opened our annual Christmas Eve present of pyjamas and got ready for bed!
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1. Christmas Morning Aftermath 2. Seth enjoying his Christmas present and being able to stay inside :)
Christmas morning came and we were all up by 8:30-9:00 opening our stockings and then dad proceeded to play "Santa" and handed out presents one by one. This part usually takes quite a long time  as we take turns opening our gifts. By 10:30 we were all sitting down to a breakfast of orange buns, egg cups with hollandaise sauce and fruit! 
Noon was when we all filed out armed with stretchy pants and headed to Grandma's house to meet with family and have Christmas Dinner, scheduled for 3. The rest of the day we lay about feeling stuffed, eating whenever our stomach didn't quite hurt anymore, consequently setting it off again, playing board games, laughing and spending time with family.
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I wanted to compile a collage of some of my favourite gifts I received for Christmas! Starting from the top left is a jar of M&M's from my Auntie who somehow got a picture of our faces on them! Then a book Calder got me, J.K. Rowling's recent adult novel, The Casual Vacancy, Jane-a-Day 5-Year Journal With 365 Witticisms by Jane Austen, from Blythe. An antique mini Bundt pan from my parents, an Around The World 2013 desk calendar from Christian. Some assorted gel food colouring, for all of the many macaron's I will make ;) A Botanicals Labels & Stickers booklet also from Christian. Sense and Sensibility, from my parents, as well as the Madeleine Pan, Sugar Baby by Gesine Bullock-Prado, and, the Golden Mint Humbugs and Peppermint Tea, found in my stocking. 

I hope all of you had an amazing Christmas and got to indulge in some holiday food that came with it as well as some special presents from your loved ones and got to act as a child again, if only for a couple of hours!

23/12/2012

Let Earth Receive Her King

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Merry Christmas

It's been a busy month full of tests, Christmas shopping/DIY-ing, and very little daylight! Thankfully from now on out the days are getting longer. School was out on Friday, we celebrated with Formal and a big Christmas Dinner for Junior/Senior High, followed by a dance. It was a good day, definitely started the Christmas holiday's off right :)
Tomorrow is Christmas Eve already! We're hosting a dinner at our house for any family that's come early for Christmas Day. Some of our family are driving to town as we speak! I can't wait to see them, it's been quite awhile and long over due.
I hope each of you have a 'Merry Little Christmas' and enjoy not only the presents you receive, or the family that you love but the King who was born to die for you. 

"Let Earth receive her King: Let every Heart prepare Him room, and Heaven and Nature Sing..."

02/12/2012

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas


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Wide, sparkling fields snow vestured lie
Beneath a blue, unshadowed sky;

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A glistening splendor crowns the woods
And bosky, whistling solitudes;
In hemlock glen and reedy mere

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The tang of frost is sharp and clear;

Life hath a jollity and zest,

A poignancy made manifest;
Laughter and courage have their way
At noontide of a winter's day.
~ L.M. Montgomery ~

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A couple of weeks ago we were able to fill our once empty living room with couches that our dad got from the city. It's one of our favourite rooms in the evening, where we can read and relax by the fireplace without getting distracted by whatever is being watched on t.v. 
Recently, however, in the evenings we've been enjoying watching episodes from the British television series, Call the Midwife, on iTunes.

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It's funny how close you can tell it's getting to Christmas, everyone is posting pictures of Christmas tree hunting and decorating, Christmas music playlists are being made and the students at school are getting restless!
Our last day of school is on the 21st so we have quite a bit of time left before our Christmas Holidays. With diploma exams coming up in January (worth 50% of our overall mark) we're getting close to the wire, it hasn't hit yet though, no the pressure will start building once the Holidays are out of the way. 
For Christmas this year I think almost everyone from my dad's side of the family is going to be coming up. I can't help feeling this is going to be the last time we're all able to be together, so I'll be cherishing this Christmas for a long time. 
I've been working on some things for Christmas presents as well as getting my brother, Christian, who is in the city to pick up some things ;) if all goes well I'll be done and able to relax once we're out of school.
Yes I think all in all this Christmas will be one to remember...