Happy 2012!

Beckett has arrived safe & sound,

mom & dad in tow.

Everyone is tucked

into bed early tonight.

Half of us are exhausted from

all the work of getting the

house painted, organized

& baby proofed.

Half of us are exhausted from

packing up a house,

renting a truck

& driving 3 hours from home,

with a 1 year old to care

for at the same time.

No energy to stay up to

bring in the New Year.

But popping in to wish everyone a

Happy New Year,

with wishes for a joy-filled, peaceful,

adventurous & creative 2012!!

Grandbaby Heaven ...

... is going to be happening

more often at our house.

As in EVERDAY!!

Yup, our grandbaby is

moving to our house.

Just 3 more days to squish

this little face EVERYDAY!

Can't wait for Mr. Beckett to be

safely home at gramma & grampa's!

Christmas Day ...

... was so amazing,

even the puppies had a hard time

staying awake at the end!

Busy, busy, busy ...

Making gifts.

Wrapping gifts.

Writing menus.

Baking cookies.

Cleaning the house.

Finishing my caseload at work.

Booking off for the holidays tomorrow.

Off work & at home until January 12th.

Love my employer, who lovingly
gives us time off every year at Christmas. 

But the very best thing about today

 was my trip to the dentist.

I love sparkly clean, polished teeth.

And NO cavities!!

Christmas Village #1

We have a new

Christmas Village this year.

But couldn't resist putting

our old one up too!

 A perfect addition to

our Dining Room this season.

Snow!!

We noticed a few flakes falling from

the sky last night.

It was soft & fluffy.

We laid in bed, with the fairy lights

on the outside of the house sparkling

in the darkness & the new falling snow

gently falling to the ground, covering

everything in a white covering.

And this morning, this is what greeted

us when we opened our front door:

Little creatures out for a

morning walk before we were up!

Now it feels like Christmas.

But the sad news is,

most of it has already melted!

Farmer's Market

We have many Farmer's Markets in & around

the city beside our small, rural community.

Our favorite is the Old Strathcona,

located in a very trendy, heritage area.

Old buildings & tons of charm.

Huge tree!

Love the old skylights.

Reminds me of a memory from my childhood.

Shoppers searching for unique gifts.

This is where we buy our

Cedar Greens each year

for our dining room table,

mantle & living room.

Huge wreath!

My lovey, enjoying some Celtic music.

Exterior.

Looks cold outside but it was +4.

This time of year, it's usually -24.

We're not complaining!

View down the cobblestone street.

Wait!

What's this?

Could it be snow?

Tea Pot Tuesday

When I was small,

I always wanted to have a

real tiny China Tea Set.

But my mom was worried

it would get broken.

Especially with a very

rambunctious younger brother.

Look what we found

at the charity shop this week!

For the grand sum of $1.25...

I had a childhood dream come true.

Candles ...

... lit for all families around the world

who have lost a precious child,

at any age, for any reason.

Tonight was the

Worldwide Candlelight Memorial Service

organized by The Compassionate Friends.

Chapters all over the world hold services

for families at 7 p.m., when candles are lit in

every time zone, so that our children can

look down from Heaven,

see a ball of light & know they are loved.

Our service tonight

was held at Glenwood. It takes weeks for us

to plan but so worth all the work.

I'm fortunate to have lots of families

who ask to help. And an incredible family that

supports my work. My dear husband

does the music every year.

I love having him there!

We light candles & hang ornaments

on our Memory Trees.

The light fills the room &

the ornaments fill the trees.

For all our children,

all around the world.

You are loved,

forever ...

Thrifting at Christmas!

I love thrifting all thru the year
but it's so much fun at Christmas.

In our community, donations to our
local charity shop go up quite a bit in
the two months before the "big day".
My guess is families are making room
for the new "toys" & go thru their stuff & donate
what is no longer needed or out of date.
Best time to find decorations 

for our house. We've had some great finds
the last few weeks.

Yesterday, we found this cute snowman lamp:

He was just too endearing to leave in the shop.

His warm glow now brightens our family room.

His smile makes us feel good just looking at him!

I love the added touch of this scene

on his little snowman body.

For the small sum of $1.50,

the addition to our Christmas decor

has been priceless!

S'mores for 2!

My husband's company sent all the employees

& their spouses out for dinner tonight.

A great Christmas Celebration for all.

Here's where we went:

http://characters.ca/

We spent over 3 hours, wining & dining,

enjoying good cheer & the season.

I had Caesar Salad with Bacon,
Lobster Tails with Spinach & Black Rice,
& a Strawberry/Raspberry/Lime drink,
followed by a tall Ginger Ale.

For desert, my husband & I shared the
"S'mores for 2":

Mmmmmm, an open fire at the table!

Group shot:

Our table, at the end of the meal:

Stairs to the private rooms on the lower level:

Emeril Lagasse, Chef but not the real

Chef from this fine dining establishment.

I love Christmas Parties but truly,

they are even sweeter when provided for us!

Perplexed!

We have no snow!

Seriously.

This is an issue.

I personally CANNOT Christmas shop

without snow on the ground.

This was December 6th last year ...

Just 365 short days ago.

But today, we have rain, slushy,

muddy streets & no sign of snow.

At all.

Not in the forecast.

No where to be seen.

Except on the ski hill that

I pass on the way to my centre.

Lots of snow there, artificially made, of course.

So we know it exists.

Maybe I should steal some!

We went Christmas shopping tonight.

Decided to brave the World's Largest Mall:

http://www.wem.ca/

But alas, no one was there!

Over 30 million people visit the mall each year.

I think I only saw a total of

30 people there tonight!

Nice for us.

Great shopping, fast parking spot & no line ups.

Maybe everyone is feeling like me.

Without snow, it's hard to feel Christmacy,

even with all the decorations, lights & music.

Can't believe I'm about to share this secret

but here it is:

"I'm looking forward to a nice snowfall!"

Hope you have snow where ever you are ...

Winter Friends

Sitting on the couch tonight

but soon to sit at the front door,

to greet our visitors

&

watch for Mr. Claus!

Candlelight Memorial Service

We offer this service every year at our local hospice.

For families who have experienced

the death of someone they love.

From murder to illness to

accident to suicide to natural causes.

The room becomes filled with candles ...

... and love.

It is an honor to lead each year,

as we come together to

remember our loved ones,

in a safe place,

where the compassion,

care and comfort is abundant.

Spoiled Rotten ...

... for my birthday on the 30th.

Lucky lady I am.

I woke up to sunlight streaming in the window, slightly confused as dh always wakes me up before he leaves for work & it's always in the dark. I discovered quickly that he had in fact taken the day off to take me anywhere my heart desired.

Our day started with haircuts at the spa ~ pampering is always good on a snowy, windy day. I then had the most wonderful gift placed in my lap: a very chubby four month old who is our "teacher" once a month at our preschool. She comes in with her mom & older sister to help the little ones learn empathy as they watch her grow from a wee baby to a toddler by the time the program is ended in June.

I love squishy babies!

Then we headed in to the city for some great Christmas shopping.

Home for a wonderful take out dinner made by our friend, presents, cake & then a hot bubble bath to end the day.

All my lovely gifts:

Martha Stewart's

"A Year of Entertaining".

Becky Kelly's

"From Grandmother, With Love".

Thomas Kinkade's

"I'll Be Home For Christmas".

Two "Bunnies by the Bay" for Christmas.

A $50 Gift Certificate for new clothes.

And the one I'm so excited for

but have to wait until next August:

Front Row Tickets to

Cirque de Soleil's "Quidam".

The most unexpected was

this beautiful

Trisha Romance Christmas Plate.

I've been looking for years.

And found it on my birthday.

One of my birthday wishes was to go to

the Antique Mall

& I'm so glad we did!

Christmas Cherished Teddy.

Becky Johnson bracelet.

Can't wait to wear it next week

to dear hubby's office Christmas Party.

What will his co-workers think of the

bosses wife wearing

a bracelet with

a jewelled skull dangling from it?

Gifts are always fun but my favorites moments are opening the special cards that carry magical words of love, Facebook messages from far away friends, phone calls with singing messages from the callers, & greetings from co-workers & community members.

Once a year, it's lovely to have

a day that celebrates each of us.

I wish you a wonderful time

when it is your special day.