The Memories of the Past Week

What a week....it feels like it has just been swept up from underneath me, and all that is left are the memories of what used to be.
Christmas is such a busy time, and there is so much hype leading up to the big event, and then in a matter of 2 days, it is all over. It kind of leaves me a little depressed after though, there is so much excitement for a month before, and then boom....it's over. People have been telling me that I better get used to it though because it is the same with a wedding, although it is a lot longer then 1 month of planning, and then in 1 single day....it is over!!!!! With Christmas at least we can look forward to the next year, but I guess with the wedding I will not have another one to look forward too.....I hope!!!!
We had a great Christmas at the Strachan and McLaughlin households.
We started our Christmas by going to church on Christmas Eve with Curt's mom, dad, Abner, Karen and Destiny. That always get me wound in the spirit. That was about the only thing that did it though. When there is no snow on the ground it is sure hard to make yourself feel like it is Christmas!!!!
After church we went for a drive around town and looked at all the light, went back to Sid and Lois's and had a snake, watched a Christmas movie, and headed home.
Christmas day we woke up and did our present exchange between the three of use. Lexy, Curt and I must of all been VERY good this year because Santa was extra generous to us!!! We then headed back over to Curt's parents and had coffee and Bailey's in the hot tub, had brunch and waited for Trisha and Clint to show up to open our presents. They were running late, so we ended up having to open gifts without them there. After we got spoiled, we packed up the remainder of the unopened gifts and headed over to Curt's grandparents place to do our visit and present exchange with them and the rest of the McLaughlin family.
After we were done with the McLaughlin's, it was time to go and see the Strachan's. We went over to my mom and dad's for our family Christmas. My dad had to work on Christmas day this year, so we had to wait to open our gifts until he got home. He was to be home in fairly good time, but it ended up that he stopped at my aunt and uncles in Atwood, and his truck brook down. His company called a mechanic, but they couldn't fix it, so he had to leave it stranded in Atwood, and hitch a ride back to town with the mechanic.
Once he arrived, we opened our gifts with my parents, Cara and Justin, and my grandma Robinson. We then had a traditional Christmas dinner of lasagna, chicken wings, hashbrown casserole, and salad (we were having turkey the next day at my mom's family Christmas, so we thought that it would be nice to just have something simple), and cleaned up. Before we left we decided to have a heated game of pass the ace, and of course, neither Curt of I won!!!!
As usual, Curt and I both were spoiled by both of our parents, getting way too much....but greatly appreciating it.
So Christmas is all over for another year, and only 361 more sleeps until next year!!!!
Here are a few memories of the past week:

Curt and the dogs on Christmas morning at his parents house....... Curt and I gave Destiny the 'Deal or NO Deal' game, so after she opened it, Sid was teasing her and asking her where her dress was, so she went to the bedroom and changed into there flowergirl dress from Ryan and Nicole's wedding.......Curt and Trisha @ Grandma and Grandpa McLaughlin's place on Christmas day.......

Grandma Robinson opening her gifts.......

Lexy opening her gifts (with a little help from her dad).......

My mom opening the ring that my dad got her (for my mom and dad's 25th wedding anniversary she wanted a today, tomorrow, forever ring. she didn't end up getting it because they took a trip instead, so this year when both of her daughters got engaged, she thought that it would be great if she could get a new diamond the year that her daughters got thier's.....she got it!!!!!).......

The Night Before Christmas

by Clement Clarke Moore

'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse;
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there;
The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads;
And mamma in her 'kerchief, and I in my cap,
Had just settled down for a long winter's nap,
When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.
Away to the window I flew like a flash,
Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.
The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow
Gave the lustre of mid-day to objects below,
When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,
But a miniature sleigh, and eight tiny reindeer,
With a little old driver, so lively and quick,
I knew in a moment it must be St. Nick.
More rapid than eagles his coursers they came,
And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name;
"Now, Dasher! now, Dancer! now, Prancer and Vixen!
On, Comet! on Cupid! on, Donder and Blitzen!
To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall!
Now dash away! dash away! dash away all!"
As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,
When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky,
So up to the house-top the coursers they flew,
With the sleigh full of toys, and St. Nicholas too.
And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof
The prancing and pawing of each little hoof.
As I drew in my hand, and was turning around,
Down the chimney St. Nicholas came with a bound.
He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot,
And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot;
A bundle of toys he had flung on his back,
And he looked like a peddler just opening his pack.
His eyes -- how they twinkled! his dimples how merry!
His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!
His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,
And the beard of his chin was as white as the snow;
The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth,
And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath;
He had a broad face and a little round belly,
That shook, when he laughed like a bowlful of jelly.
He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,
And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself;
A wink of his eye and a twist of his head,
Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread;
He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,
And filled all the stockings; then turned with a jerk,
And laying his finger aside of his nose,
And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose;
He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,
And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.
But I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight,
"Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good-night."

Friends Christmas Party

Last night was our friends Christmas party.
This is the second year that we have had this party, and it is always a blast.
Everyone had to bring a gift that would suit their gender and we did a Christmas gift exchange. Also new this year, everyone had to bring a shooter for everyone else. This resulted in some pretty messy people by the end of the evening.
It was an early night, compared to some that we have had in the past. We were in bed by 1:30. I guess that is what happens when you start at 4, and when you get older!!!
Anyways, here are some highlites of the evening:
the Christmas gift exchange our mad game of Pictinary the guys in the hot tub over at Curt's parents Just a few more days and all of the Holiday festivities will be over for another year.
It is always such a busy time, that we do not get the chance to see everyone that we would like to. So for those of you that we have not had a chance to have a Holiday visit with,
From our House to Yours.....Merry Christmas.

HOHOHOHOHOHO

6 MORE SLEEPS!!!!!!!!!!!!

Happy Birthday Grandma

Thursday was my Grandma Robinson's 84 birthday so last night we went to my Aunt Lois and Uncle Ron's house for cake and ice cream to celebrate.
When it came time for my grandma to blow out the candles, two little helpers jumped right up on her knee to assist with the task at hand. Here is to many more birthday celebrations with my grandmother!!!!

Get Your Christmas Elf Name!!!!

Mine would be (as Sandi): Daffy Fluffy-Paws
(as Sandra): Happy Fluffy-Paws
Curt's would be (as Curtis): Chipper Twinkle-Toes
(as Curt): Goofy Twinkle-Toes
What would yours be??????
http://www.jokesunlimited.com/christmas_elf_name.php
post a comment in the comment area and let us know what yours would be!!!!

All I want for Christmas is.......................

*****SNOW*****

10 More Sleeps

Here Comes Santa Clause Here comes Santa Claus!
Here comes Santa Claus!
Right down Santa Claus Lane!
Vixen and Blitzen and all his reindeer
are pulling on the reins.
Bells are ringing, children singing;
All is merry and bright.
Hang your stockings and say your prayers,
'Cause Santa Claus comes tonight.

Here comes Santa Claus!
Here comes Santa Claus!
Right down Santa Claus Lane!
He's got a bag that is filled with toys
for the boys and girls again.
Hear those sleigh bells jingle jangle,
What a beautiful sight.
Jump in bed, cover up your head,
'Cause Santa Claus comes tonight

ONLY............

12 more sleeps until the big guy comes!!!!!!

Double The Trouble

My friend Laura is pregnant with twins, as I think that I have mentioned before.
She currently has a little girl, Addy, who just turned 1 on November 11, and has two on the way. When these two decide to present themselves to the world, she will have 3 children all under the age of 18 months.
Not only his she going to have sleepless nights, but she is also a business owner (she owns her own hair salon) and she will have to keep up with that!!!!
Last week she found out the sex of the twins.....two boys!!!!!!!!!
She is a brute for punishments, and I feel for her:(

The Urn's are COMPLETE!!!

If you can remember I told you about these urns that we got last year that cost an arm and a leg, but did not come covered in grapevine, the way that we thought that they would.I am happy to say that they have finally got wrapped in the grapevine that we got about a month ago, and they look great with our Christmas arrangement in them. I have to say....it certainly was NOT worth paying her the $75.00 extra to get her to cover them!!!!

WHAT THE HECK IS ALL THIS WHITE STUFF?????

Lexy was not too sure about the snow again this year, but tonight she is loving it again....out rolling around in it and then coming into the house and shaking it all over the floor!!!!

A Day of Winter Creations

Yesterday I finally talked my mom into doing our Christmas greenery arrangements.
Last year we went to a ladies place, and for $5.00 we filled our own pot with the stuff that she had went to the bush and got, and we didn't have to clean up the mess after we were done.
This year I thought that it would be fun if we went to the bush and got our own greenery and did our pots in the garage. The clean up part was not that much fun, I definitely would have paid someone $5.00 to come and do that!!!
Curt, dad, mom and I headed out around noon and picked up some berries and dogwood on the Race Coarse side road, and then headed over to the Maple Keys Sugar Bush to find these three different kind of trees that we need to get branches from. Deer hunting season started today so we did not want to have to go into a bush to pick the stuff, just in case there were some early hunters, so we found all of the branches that we needed on the edge of the bushes.
After we had gathered all that we needed we headed back to mom and dad's and mom and I set up our work station in the garage. We were out there for quite a few hours putting our arrangements together. It was fun. Since I have moved out on my own I have found that my mom and I have a lot in common, and pretty much every season we get together and do some sort of outdoors craft....some great mother/daughter quality time.
In the end I did two VERY large arrangements (one for my front door for my urn, and one for Curt's mom), a medium arrangement (for my side entrance), and two small arrangements (another from my front...... ......and another for the side).
Yesterday morning I was out at Zehr's getting groceries and seen there arrangements sitting there and so I thought that I would check out the price.....$149.99 for most of them!!!! That included an urn, but still.....we saved ourselves $100.00, and they look just as good, if not better, then the ones there!!!!

It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas

We have had our Christmas lights up for a couple of weeks now, but with the snow this weekend, it really makes it look and feel a lot more like Christmas.
p.s. Three weeks from tonight Santa comes!!!!!!!!