twenty fifteen

Happy New Year everyone - here's to a healthy, peaceful 2015!

We ended 2014 very well. Our trip to Ontario was wonderful thanks to clear weather, great family, amazing hosts and two very good kids.

The drive that I have admittedly been dreading for a month wasn't even half bad.  On the way there the kids and I were together following Cody in a customer's truck. And for 18 hours Kate and Elliott entertained each other, themselves and me. There were one or two hairy moments - in particular sounding out and spelling words with the kids.  If we could have, we would have been slugging it out in a fist fight as I was not able to - in Toronto 401 rush hour traffic - describe clearly enough to either how to write a "b" versus a "d".  I bet you're saying to yourself, "what, a fist fight over a b versus a d? She's exaggerating?" I am not. It didn't matter that 2 out of 5 letters in each of her words were backwards she had to get a b versus a d nailed down. "Which side of the circle does the line go on?" Just typing those words sends me into convulsions. Three people screaming at each other as Papa chilled out in his truck quietly listening to stories on the CBC.

Once at the house, we stayed busy: visiting, eating, drinking, sleeping, playing, walking, unwrapping, cleaning, washing and even a little biking. We took the kids to a boxing day movie and to Niagara Falls for a big walk in some crisp misty air.

The kids were spoiled with goodies, gifts and love from their multitude of grandparents (3 sets). Not a bad gig to be the only two kids with a nine plus adults doting.

So on to the festivities...

Two very tired travellers - plus one lazy Boo.

Me and my babes

We've got some serious Nutcracker envy.

Great Grammie and Great Grampie Jorgensen - I know the kids fell hard for both of them.

Our four kids on the night before Christmas. Two snug in the Christmas jammies and blankets.

We had a serious thunder and lightening storm on Christmas Eve and then this was our Christmas morning view. Strange to say the least.

Our cup runneth over. 

Our Christmas Angel. She was a trooper as she had to be taken to the clinic Christmas Eve with a cold and a very painful ear infection.

 Elliott with one of many Christmas zombies.

Pirate Kate sitting amongst her sizeable booty.

Zombies are strangely photogenic. 

 Crocs too.

 Getting some fresh air.

Another pretty shot of Kate.

Sitting down to a beautiful Christmas dinner.

 Kate, a rainbow and the Falls.

 Quiet contemplation.

 Me and my little lady.

Cody and Kate with a very good replica of Heath Ledger's Joker that fascinated Elliott.

Two days left of the kids' Christmas holidays and about nine more episodes of Breaking Bad season five for Cody and I; the possibilities are endless.

March on and much love - CAKE