The Best Parts of Christmas

My brother and his family came home from Calgary. It was my first time meeting my niece Abigail and the first time my nephew Ethan recognized me. My sister and her husband flew in from England and we got a few special moments together. The whole family together for the first time in years!

Smacking Good Times

I have a special relationship with my Mom's sister. My Aunt has played many roles in my life - babysitter, cool Aunt who has all the nieces or nephews over for sleepovers, and Aunt who gives me a place to crash for night. Most recently we've taken it a step further - she's one of the closest friends that I can name. And as such, girl time becomes a priority.

Yesterday the Husband had plans with a friend. Oh yes, I was invited. But did I REALLY want to go for supper (yum) and spend the rest of the evening gaming (yuck)? I can't twiddle a controller any better than I can crochet. So I called my Aunt. Her husband took charge of their 3 boys and she became a free woman.

We decided on dinner and a movie. Together in my kitchen we cooked up a storm - jumbo pasta shells stuffed with various cheeses and fresh herbs covered in a tomato sauce with Italian sausage and smothered in parmesan. Greek salad with all the fixings. It was fabulous! We dug in and watched a chick flick, taking a break to have tea and cheesecake (we cheated and bought the world's best cheesecake at Double D's - candy cane and white chocolate peach flavors).

Everyone should be so lucky to have their Aunt become their friend. It still blows my mind.

Morning Ramblings

I've been up since 6 AM. It seems that this well oiled machine of a brain has realized that we work days. No more odd shifts. It's the weekend you say? You want to sleep in? Not today - you have work to do!

Sure I do. There are plenty of things I could and/or should do. The gym opens in 5 minutes. I should go hit an early workout. I haven't been for a week. Blame it on a sore back and the Husband working evenings (and therefore being car-less). I should take the dog for a walk. The sun is rising.

I sent my parents a text message thinking maybe they were having a wonderful breakfast that I should be invited to. Alas, I think they're still asleep. The grandkids should have them up soon. I think they should request mama's famous waffles and their Auntie Val's presence. I debated going for a drive and just showing up there. But I wouldn't want to wake them.

The husband is still sleeping. I could impress him like crazy and have the house cleaned up by the time he wakes. He did 6 hours of overtime last night. Paying for Christmas presents, no doubt.

Instead I sit here, writing and nursing a cup of coffee. I think I hear the bathtub calling me. After that I'll work. After that I'll prep 40 lbs of turkey. Oh yes, I'm cooking 2 large turkeys today. I may have only ever cooked one before, but today I'm doubling that. Plus 20 cups of gravy. It's for a good cause - for a mere $2/plate people who would not normally get a Christmas dinner will have a full course meal. While it's cooking I'll clean. While it's cooking I'll take the dog for a walk.

But not right now.

Family Gossip

Since my extended family members are avid readers of my blog, I'm going to have to post family gossip here so that word gets around!

Yes, it's true. Grandma is in the hospital. Her heart was fibrillating and not pumping her blood effectively. So she's on blood thinners and hanging out at Steinbach Hospital for a little while. She's going to be alright.

I wish she was closer. I'd love to see her.

Now consider yourselves informed!

Ready for Christmas

At the risk of sounding repetitive, I'm tired. Work is draining as I try to navigate a steep learning curve with very little support or proper orientation. Weekends we grocery shop, clean the house, walk the dog, and maybe enjoy a social engagement. Before I know it, it's Monday again and I haven't had time to check my emails or catch up on blogs. And so my life is a whirlwind. For another few months.

But somehow we managed to get the house decorated for Christmas. I think it looks pretty good!