Soon It Will Be Christmas Day

The trees are decorated (have been for a while, actually!), the stockings are put out (not hung...we don't really have space for them all, and they get too heavy!), presents are wrapped, baking is done, prep work and cooking is not even started (that's today's project!)... It's Christmas!

The day we look forward to all.  year.  long.  is almost here!  Today I'll spent some a lot of time prepping for Christmas Day, so it makes things not quite so crazy... we'll play games, and eat way too much food, play games, hang out as a family.  It will be fantastic!

Christmas is so much fun with kids!  Shopping, trying to find the perfect presents for them... truth be told, it's not just the kids that I love to shop for!  The anticipation for giving gifts to our loved ones...I love it!

Before all the hoopla starts, we'll take a few moments, read the Christmas story, and remember what all the excitement is about.  Jesus.  Sent to this earth, as a baby.  Sent by his Father, to take on my sin. 

And I am thankful.  Thankful for this act of amazing love.  Thankful for my family.  Thankful for the country in which I live.  Thankful for my home.  Thankful for the example of the most perfect love. 

Enjoy your Christmas, friends!  Hug your loved ones tight.  Treasure the times spent together.

In the Trees

The other morning, I looked outside my kitchen window to find this:

 A massive porcupine.  Eating our apples! (which, by the way, have fermented and we've had trees full of waxwings eating them, getting drunk on them and flying into our kitchen windows!)

 The Girls and I watched him for a while, and then I decided that we should go and chase him out of the tree.  So, I took my camera, went outside, and walked towards the tree.  He, of course, saw me, and started to waddle away.  I could only get a picture of his behind, until I followed him for quite some time over the hill and though the woods (literally....!), and then he turned around and looked at me...

...as if to say, "WHAT are you doing still following me?!" 

I only wanted a good picture!  Here it is!  This bad boy was pretty big, and it was pretty cool to see him up close.  The only porcupine I've ever seen is dead, on the side of the road!

Incidentally, did you know that porcupine's won't shoot their quills at you?  You must touch them in order to get one stuck in you....it's a common misconception. 

We've seen many things in our yard....moose, deer, foxes, coyotes, squirrels, skunks...but never a porcupine.  Until know!  Since this picture, we've seen him one more time....

Uncle Arthur

When I was a little girl, we had these books that I loved, filled with "Bedtime Stories" (by the way, what constitutes a bedtime story?  Is it just a story?  Or does it have to have something in particular?).  These books were older when I was little....

Before I was even pregnant with Hannah, I was at a thrift store, and I found these same bedtime story books.  Of course, I bought them all on the spot, because, if memory serves me correct, I asked my Mom if I could have ours, as they were still somewhere around their house, and she said, "Nope!"

Anyhow, I bought them, all 20 (I think) volumes.  And let me tell you, it was some of the best $25 I've ever spent! 

The Girls just cleaned up and organized all their books in the basement, and found these bedtime stories once again.  Tonight, Ellie Mae is home sick (again!), so I laid in bed with her, cuddling, and she had one of these beauties, so we read a few stories.  And I STILL love them!  The pictures are very retro, and the stories are great - they are deal with different morals (for example, the one we read tonight was Peter's Pockets, or something like that...).  I looked in the cover of the book tonight, and they are copyrighted in 1964, but were originally written in 1928, so I guess I must have the updated version....haha!

Anyhow, all that to say, I LOVE Uncle Arthur's Bedtime Stories.  Still.  Loved them when I was a kid...love reading them to my kids.  It brought warm fuzzies to my heart!

Incidentally, wanna hear something CRAZY?!  I just looked online to find a picture of one of these nostalgic books, and I stumbled across this picture....on eBay.  The whole series, just like I have.  Wanna know how much it was going for?  $1500!  Oh.  My.  Goodness.  Maybe I need to not let my Girls read these books, and sell them instead!  Or maybe not...I love them too much for them not to enjoy them as much as I did when I was a girl.

 So there you have it.  Uncle Arthur Rocks!

Another One

We had another puker yesterday.  My baby....poor thing.  I woke up to one of the Girls running into our room and saying, "Ellie Mae is puking in the sink!".  Seriously?  I suppose I should be thankful that it wasn't the middle of the night...

So, after puking, we cuddled for a while on the couch....*bliss*

I had a full day planned, but had to cancel everything... I didn't think it was fair to drag my lethargic 4 year old all over the place....and instead, while Ellie Mae slept on the couch, me and the other Girls baked.  And baked.  And baked some more.  It was truly fantastic! 

Today, Ellie Mae is on the mend, I am happy because I have the majority of my Christmas baking done, and it's Friday.  Seriously.  Can the day get any better?!

Success....in More Ways Than One!

So our Saturday shopping Day was successful! We started and finished our Christmas shopping, which is super fantastic. Now, onto the next Christmas task...baking! I was hoping to get at it sooner, but apparently that's not happening... So, I'll squeeze it in when I can...

This morning, I had to take my van in for a new fuel pump, and as I was getting ready, Art asked if he could take the older 2 girls to the office with him to spend some time cleaning up and organizing it. I believe his exact words were, "It would really help me out if the older Girls could come and clean my office.."

And then I felt quite proud of the Girls...they are growing up so fast, and they really are great little helpers who (usually) willingly work and help however they can. I also felt kinda sad...because they are growing up! They don't need me in the same way anymore, and are quite competent to do things on their own. I also felt thankful...thankful that We have our own company where the Girls can go to work with Art, and thankful that we homeschool so they can have opportunities like this.

So, here I am, sitting and the car dealership, watching my 2 little Girls play. And then? We're gonna go to Tim Horton's for donuts...because hanging out with Mom is super fun!!

Traditions

Our family is big on traditions. We love them. Some traditions we've had since before we got married, like nachos for dinner on Sunday, only to be eaten AFTER the Girls are in bed. And some traditions are newer...

For the past few years, one of our Christmas preparation traditions has for the Girls to spend a Saturday with their beloved Auntie Frieda while we take off for a day to start and finish all of our Christmas shopping. This was supposed to happen last weekend, but had to be postponed due to the flu that hit our family. So, this is the day...

Truth be told, we don't have a ton of shooping left to do, thanks to online shopping, but it's always fun to spend a day out, together, walking around, talking, dreaming, and picking up the fun stocking stuffers, imagining our families delight on Christmas Day. We'll top off the day with dinner out...let's say it's our Company Christmas Party...

So, here's to me and my hunny, off the spend a most appreciated day together,

The Best....

My Mom was here early November for a short visit (and yes, I'm way behind!).  While she was here, I asked her if she would teach me to make perogies. 

In our home, we consume many, many, MANY perogies.  However, I've never made them.  Ever.  My grandma used to make them, my Mom used to make them when we were kids, but I've never made them.  It's part of our heritage.  It's a necessity.  It's something I must know how to do. 

When we go to the coast, or have family come and visit, we stock up on cottage cheese perogies (bought at your local grocery store there!), but here, we've had to make due with potato and cheddar perogies from (gasp!) Costco.  But not any more!

 Since I didn't even have a perogie maker, my Mom popped into town to the kitchen store, and they had the greatest.  invention. ever!  Hunky Bill's perogie maker!  It was so great!  Gone are the days of making 2 perogies at a time!  With this little piece of heaven, you roll out a big piece of dough and spread it over the maker, fill it with cottage cheese, and then roll out another piece and put it on top.  Genius, I tell you!

Thank you, hunky Bill!!  You're the best!

We made perogies all afternoon one day, and then I begged to make more the next day, so I could stock pile them in my freezer (and I had an extra set of useful hands to help!)....

This is Art's most favorite meal in the whole wide world.  Needless to say, I was the best wife/Mom ever, when we had perogies and farmer sausage for dinner 2 nights in a row.... I think we made 12 dozen perogies, which will last my family about 5 meals.  And then, my Mom should be here visiting again, so maybe she'll help again?  Pretty please, Mom?!

On a side note, my Grandma once told me that to feed her family one meal, she would make about 100 perogies for them.  It would take her all.  day.  long.  And then?  They'd be gone in about 10 minutes.  If I think about that too long, it makes me want to cry....

Gifting

I received a present this week, from one of my daughters.  I think she just wanted to share with me what she was feeling.  This present was also given to one of my other daughters.  My other daughter didn't get the gift like I did - rather, just a fraction of what I received.

"What is the gift?" You may be asking.  Here's a hint.

The gift made me puke.  All.  Night.  Long.

Molly passed on her flu bug to both Hannah & I, but fortunately, Hannah didn't have the puking part of it.  Just me.  Nice.

So, what plans I had for the rest of this week went down the toilet (no pun intended!), and I slept and puked and slept and puked and then slept some more....

Thankfully, I woke up this morning feeling a bit better...stomach still a bit tender, but at least I'm not quite as miserable as yesterday!

I must say, I was fairly proud of my Girls.... I was in my bed pretty much all day yesterday, and Hannah was sacked out on the couch, and Abby stepped it up and got the little Girls breakfast and lunch, they did their school and played all day... didn't come up to my room once to wake me up.  Abby even tucked in the little Girls for their naps.  I was impressed!

I think I was awake for a total of 6 hrs. yesterday, so I'm definitely caught up on my sleep! 

Unfortunately, Art & I were supposed to do our Christmas shopping today, sans kids (his sister always takes them for a Saturday in December so we can all our shopping), but that has been postponed until next weekend...Hopefully no one else receives this gift!