Christmas 2019

It's the most wonderful time of the year. (you're singing it now aren't you?) I love Christmas and now that I have a family to celebrate with, it makes it that much more sweet. This year we squeezed in so many fun things to celebrate the season. It was filled with wonderful memories I've tucked away for years to come!

• We joined Abby in KW for a tour of lights and live nativity
• Celebrated with our Hamilton family at the annual Christmas Tree Party
• Annual Christmas shopping with Cody for Mummy/Daddy
• Enjoyed the Ladies' Tea at our church (with Devin & Cody serving)
• Celebrated at the farm with the Mills family
• Headed to Niagara for the Cooksey Christmas - complete with a trip to Niagara On The Lake, dinner at the Mandarin and the Christmas lights in Niagara Falls
• Feasted on the Festive Special with the Drysdale clan
• Took in a festive performance of Mary Poppins at The Grand Theatre on Christmas Eve afternoon
• Christmas brunch with two sets of grandparents
• Loads of Christmas movies, special festive snacks and all the twinkly lights!

Jazzy Christmas

Last week we attended a Jazzy Christmas concert, organized by Cody's piano teacher. The kids were encouraged to play a duet with Christopher Norton and live Christmas music was the perfect setting to get us in the holiday spirit!

Cody was not into practicing in the weeks leading up to the concert. He had been sick and it was a battle to get him to sit down to the piano. So, he told Dianne he didn't want to do a duet.

We arrived at the church and settled into our seats. After a few solo songs, Christopher talked with the audience and asked if there was anyone there that could not play the piano. Devin's hand went up and he was promptly asked if he'd like to learn! He was soon on the stage learning to play Jingle Bells.



I as so impressed! So was Cody! Daddy obviously paved the way for when Christopher asked "Has anyone been learning O Holy Night? Would they like to play it with me?"...Cody's hand went up. I was so proud of him. He didn't really prepare to do this song, but away he went. It was beautiful. It's my favourite Christmas carol and I had tears in my eyes as I listened to him. I'm so very proud of this boy and all of the new challenges and accomplishments he has taken on!

This is What Love Looks Like

You Want Lights With That? (Part 2)

This week Devin & I were setting up the Christmas tree in our basement and stringing the lights in preparation to decorate it with Cody. Last year, we had a terrible time with the incandescent lights. They had served me well for most of my years since moving out on my own, so I couldn't complain. But, many of them had burnt out and we decided to pitch them and get new LED lights this year.

So, we strung our new lights on the tree - they looked great! Then we put the tree topper on. Yuck. It had old incandescent lights on it and the faded yellow light they emitted compared to the nice bright white lights on the tree just looked awful.

I looked at Devin and asked if we should get a new tree topper? I was hesitant because this one had particular sentimental value. Three years ago (our FIRST Christmas together) Devin & I decorated my Christmas tree. As we put the star on top I commented that it looked nice in the daylight but since it didn't have any lights on it, it looked strange in the dark with the tree lit up. He quickly asked if I'd like him to add lights and got some tools out of his truck.

I was swooning! Here is this amazing man that is not only capable of doing such a thing, but he's willing to do it with a smile on his face! AND I was marrying him. I was so impressed, I blogged about it here.

Fast forward three years to when we put the topper on the tree this year and my comment about the lights. Just as quickly as last time, he asked if I'd like him to switch out the lights to LEDs? He was eager to do so and within about 20 minutes it was on the tree, looking like it belonged.

The funny thing is, the next day when I looked at my Facebook memories, the original lighting adventure popped up. It was nearly to the DAY. Too funny!

And for the record, I'm just as enamored with this many three years later. In fact, perhaps even more so!

Micro Vacation

This weekend, Devin & I headed to the big city of Toronto for a little getaway. It's amazing how just 30 hours away from home felt like such a vacation!

The inspiration for this getaway was a Facebook ad for Toronto Christmas Market. I thought it looked absolutely lovely - like a Christmas card. So, I suggested it to Devin and he liked the idea. I arranged to go on a weekend when Cody was going to spend time with his biological mom, so we dropped him off and raced to the Go Train station in Burlington. We arrived in time to take the 5:01 train and we were thinking we'd need to take the 5:31 or 6:01 depending on traffic. Sweet!

We hopped on board and settled in for our journey into the city. We are certainly not pros at taking public transportation, so we needed to find our way once we got to Union station, but we were soon taking the subway to our hotel and checking in. We dropped off our bag and were back out in the crisp evening air to go to the market.

It was beautiful! Little white lights everywhere, Christmas music, delicious smells wafting from booths selling delectable treats. I was LOVING it. We were pretty hungry by this time so we stopped for some dinner and a chance to catch our breath and take in our kid-free getaway!

The rest of the evening was spent meandering in and out of shops, buying a few Christmas presents, and taking advantage of the many Instagram-worthy photo ops! A great way to kick off the holiday season.

Our hotel (Bond Place Hotel) was a great little spot - steps from Young/Dundas square. It had been a while since I was in downtown Toronto and I was taken with how much it reminded me of being in New York City with all of the oversized screens and holiday decorations. It was kinda fun to feel like we had gone on a trip but we were really only 2 hours from home!

Saturday was spent wandering the Eaton Centre and admiring the Bay's window displays - reminiscent of the Macy's windows in NYC. We had such a great time together and agreed that taking these micro vacations should be a regular thing. It felt so great to get away and have some downtime to recharge and just spend time together instead of feeling like we need to be working on the unending list of projects at home! And speaking of that list, we were able to squeeze in a stop at Ikea on the way home - supplies for our next project!

And so begins my most favourite time of the year! Welcome Christmas 2018, I've been waiting for you.

Holiday Retrospective

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  Cody's new bike!

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  Present time

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  Christmas afternoon tobogganing!

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  Celebrating with Grandma & Grandpa Drysdale

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  Hangin' with Uncle John

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  Presents with Uncle Todd

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  My favourite Aunt Peggy!

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  Mistletoe Kiss!

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  Crazy Cousins

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  Grammie & Grandpa and their crew

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  Gingerbread construcion

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  Christmas morning

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  Welcome Christmas

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  Gingerbread cuteness

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  Look at those faces!

My Christmas Song

The weeks leading up to Christmas were always my favourite. I loved listening to Karen Carpenter croon away some holiday classics while I made little shaped cookies. Or watching the Grizwalds while I wrapped gifts. Those weeks were filled with all sorts of special events or gatherings. And then the big day would arrive - December 25th. Despite the fact that I was celebrating the birth of our Saviour and all that represents, there was an emptiness inside me once Christmas finally arrived.

As the years passed, many tears were shed on Christmas. For some reason, this holiday has a way of holding up a big mirror and showing you the things you feel are missing in your life. Christmas is a time for family and although I enjoyed celebrating with my parents, my siblings, their spouses and their kids, it was a reminder that I was alone. More than anything, I desired a family of my own to start Christmas traditions and celebrate together.

This Christmas pushed all of those other Christmases out of the way. With a wonderful husband and adorable red head by my side, we enjoyed all of the festivities together and my heart was full. We finished our shopping in November so December was reserved for Christmas movie nights, LEGO advent calendar, making cookies with Grammie, and gingerbread house construction.

On Christmas morning, Cody crawled into bed with us for some snuggles before we made our way downstairs for Dad to read the Christmas story and open gifts. We stayed in our jammies and had a decadent breakfast, played with new toys, went tobogganing and watched Home Alone. It was the perfect day of relaxing with my family without having to pack up and drive anywhere. Actually the whole week is planned to be the same! Not much on the schedule but enjoying our time together.

As we celebrate the birth of Jesus, I'm reflecting on how God put together my family - like a jigsaw puzzle. It is not the conventional family I had thought I would have, but what a blessing they are to me. I couldn't ask for a more thoughtful, caring or kind husband. And, yes, I have to share Cody with his bio-mom on holidays like this, but I'm the one that gets to tuck him in every night. I get to have neat conversations as we drive together in the truck. I know what he struggles with at school and what makes his heart sing. I am so grateful for the relationship we have been able to forge.

This Christmas my heart is full.

Banff for Christmas

What a wonderful place to spend the holidays! This year Devin & I flew to Banff for Christmas. A number of factors came together to make it a reality: Cody was spending Christmas with his mom, Devin & I both had nearly a week off work without taking "vacation" time, we had wanted to do a delayed honeymoon at some point....so, the decision was made.

We stayed at Buffalo Mountain Lodge just outside the city. It was exactly the feel we were going for. The lobby was totally decked out for Christmas with a roaring fire in the fireplace. We even had a fireplace in our room!

This trip was the perfect blend of relaxation (puzzles and Christmas movies) and adventure (snowmobiling up a mountain). The views were so spectacular we felt that we were in a snowglobe! It was cold - I wore an insulating layer the entire time I was there - but gorgeous. The layer of snow on top of everything was breathtaking.

One of the moments I had anticipated the most was the "one horse open sleigh" ride on Christmas Eve. I'm a real sap sometimes and the thought of doing this in the mountains on December 24th was just too much for me to handle! It did not disappoint. We climbed into our sleigh and were covered by a buffalo hide for warmth. We made our way through some open areas and even spotted a herd of elk. As the snow softly fell, I tried to take a mental snapshot that I could savour in years to come. What a unique experience!

Another one of my favourite moments was our full day of snowmobiling in BC. Wow! What an adventure. It was amazing to wind our way up the mountain and see the fantastic views along the way. We stopped a few times at particularly breathtaking vantage points - including this frozen waterfall. At the top, we stopped for lunch at a cabin - giving us the opportunity to warm up. After lunch, it was time to rip around the "powder bowl". That was what Devin had been anticipating since we booked the trip :) However, when you're on the BACK of the snowmobile, it's much different. With each bump, my bum came right off the seat! I was really getting jostled around and thought I might just fly off the back and Devin would never know. So, I had a time out to take photos while he raced around like a maniac.

We both returned home sick with a cold, but we had such a great time, it didn't seem to matter! What a great first Christmas as Mr. & Mrs.

2016 Draws to a Close

Another year is behind us and a new one stretched out in front. For me, 2016 was an emotion filled year of changes. Change would definitely be one word that would sum up 2016!

Early in the year, Devin sold his house and we bought our new home. When I look back on all that we packed into a few short months, I'm not sure how we did it!  Searching for a house while planning a wedding and doing it from cities 2 hours apart! But we managed just fine and LOVE our new neighbourhood in Mount Elgin.

The first 5 months of the year were filled with wedding planning and preparations. It was great fun to see everything come together for our special day. But, more than anything we were ready to live together as a family.

May 22 was a perfect day. Everything just fell into place and created an ideal day for us to share with our family and friends. Honestly, I could not have asked for it to be any different.

And then reality happened. Ha ha ha. Consider all of this happening at the same time:

• Closing the deal on my house & moving my stuff out
• Moving into a new house - living in chaos as we figured out where everything should go
• Changing my name
• Changing my address
• Becoming a wife
• Becoming a mom

Wow! Talk about adjustments! But, with the support of my very patient husband, we made it through all of those transitions. We enjoyed some fun times this summer with family and friends and went on our first family vacation! In August we traveled to the Smoky Mountains with my parents and spent a week exploring. It was a great time for the three of us to spend undivided time together and an opportunity for Cody to bond with my parents.

As we moved into fall, we felt more settled as a family. We were finding our groove. I altered my hours at work so I could spend more time with Cody after school - which has been such a blessing to our family. Following with the "change" theme ...we bought a truck and sold my Beetle. Yes, the time had come for my little car to find a new owner. We needed something more practical for our family.

In November, I said good bye to my beloved Grammie. What a sad day, indeed, when I got word that she had passed away. I'm so very grateful for the many memories I shared with her and will carry with me forever. She was a very special lady to me and I'm so glad she was able to attend our wedding and share in my joy that day. I believe it has been a gradual mourning for me. Things have changed over the last few years. We took fewer trips out in the car, she moved from her house to an apartment and finally a nursing home. He mind was still sharp and witty but I know she was uncomfortable and did not enjoy her everyday life any longer. So, as sad as it leaves me, I'm relieved that she died peacefully and her suffering is over.

Just 10 days after my Grammie passed away, we lost Devin's Grandmaman. She lived a very full 98 years but will be missed by many.

We capped off the year by celebrating Christmas with our families a week early and headed to Banff for the holidays. Our delayed honeymoon was everything we thought it would be! We stayed at a beautiful lodge in the Rocky mountains, went on a sleigh ride on Christmas Eve and a full day of snowmobiling. The week was a perfect blend of relaxing and adventure!

So, as we close 2016 I'm thinking of all the possibilities ahead of us in 2017. I am so blessed to have the wonderful people in my life that I call family and friends.

2016 Additions

Each year I like to add a few ornaments to my tree that represent the year. This year I have three to highlight.

#1 Harley Davidson

This is actually a key chain that is acting as a tree ornament. I got it in York, Pennsylvania when I went for a tour of the HD factory. For some reason, I've always had a fascination with the Hog and when the opportunity arose to do a tour, I jumped.

It was pretty cool to make our way through the various parts of the plant and see the bikes being assembled. An additional fun feature was sitting on the bikes in the showroom. Hey, a girl can dream, right?

#2 Cinderella's Slipper

I actually gave this ornament to my mom many years ago. It just seemed to make sense since whenever the topic of my singleness came up, she would start to sing the song from Cinderella, "someday your prince will come..."

One week after getting engaged and the first time seeing her after the ring was on my finger, she had a tiny red box and a letter for me. She was giving the ornament back to me with the following explanation:

The year that you gave me this ornament, I secretly cried for you, but I placed it on the tree in a prominent place, front and centre. Every time I viewed it, I would pray for the man that would be your "Prince Charming". So now I return this ornament to you... to place in a prominent place on your Christmas tree - a reminder of God's faithfulness, that as we pray believing, things come to pass.

#3 The Fan

This ornament has such a great story behind it, and involves my hilarious Grammie. When my sister Jo-Anne got married, she was the first of Grammie's grandchildren to tie the knot. What happened next started a tradition.

Connie & I hosted an "hour by hour" shower for Jo-Anne. For those of you that are not familiar, all the guests are assigned a time of day and their gift should be used at that time. Just for kicks, Connie & I assigned Grammie to bring a gift for 4am.

When Jo-Anne read the card out loud, it said "For those hot nights. Love Grammie" The room exploded with whoops and hollers to find out what Grammie had in mind for those hot nights. She was perplexed as to why people were laughing. After all, she had just purchased an oscillating fan "for those hot nights".

Each granddaughter that got married since then has gotten a fan from Grammie. I love that she embraced it and it became her tradition. It has been a long-standing joke with us and several years ago, I bought this ornament for her. This year, I'm getting it back for my tree. Grammie has already told Mom that she needs to get a fan for Janice. I can't wait to receive it! :)

You Want Lights With That?

It's that time of year again. Time to get festive! I love putting my Christmas tree up and all the sparkle it adds to my living room.

I was prepared when Devin arrived on Friday night. After (an awesome salmon) dinner, we started assembling the tree - fluffing out the fake branches and arranging the lights. Well, who am I kidding? I designated lights to him. It is a task I hate each year and now I have someone willing to take over? Yes!

Once the tree was up and the lights were on, we decided to hit up Starbucks for a holiday drink. It was just the right thing to do.

We eventually did get back to the tree and it was fun to explain all of my special ornaments to him - where I got them and the meaning behind them.

While getting the ornaments out of the box, I found a tree topper I had purchased a few years ago, but had never used. I could never get it to sit right on the tree - always flopping over. When I complained about this, Devin grabbed it, quickly modified it and had it on top of the tree! Wow, this is great. I love that this guy is going to be my husband! But wait, it gets better...

When I was later admiring the tree in all of its twinkly goodness, I remarked that it's a shame there are no lights on the tree topper. Quite honestly, it looked a little goofy to have a star on the top of the tree without lights. When the room is dark, you can't even see the star! Devin reacted to this comment in the best possible way. "You want lights on your tree topper? I can put lights on your tree topper." And with that, he was outside at his truck, getting the tools he needed.

I was amazed as I watched him snipping, clipping, soldering etc. Even using a little micro torch. Wow! This was pretty freaking cool. My heart swelled when he put it on the top of the tree and plugged it in. Oh, honey. I love you!

12 Days of Christmas

Today's holiday memory... The Nutcracker

I've always enjoyed doing "experience" gifts with my Grammie. There is no better present than spending quality time with someone you love. And, we always have a lot of fun together.

One year, during the holidays she mentioned that she had always wanted to see The Nutcracker. It did, in fact, seem to be a traditional thing to do at Christmas. So, I filed that away in my memory bank.

The next year when I saw that The Nutcracker was performing at The Imperial Theatre in Sarnia, I ordered tickets for the two of us to attend.

It was such a wonderful night together and memory for me to treasure. We enjoyed dinner at Swiss Chalet, the ballet and took the long way home so we could enjoy the Christmas lights on the homes along the river.

I hope you have enjoyed my 12 Days of Christmas memories as much as I have enjoyed remembering them.

12 Days of Christmas

Today's holiday memory... Volunteering

I'm not sure who came up with the idea or why it came about, but in 1999, our family volunteered at the Inn of the Good Shepherd in Sarnia on Christmas Eve. I think it was related to Jo-Anne & Nick being unable to join us until the 25th. Regardless, it is a warm holiday memory that I think we should replicate.

our 1999 family Christmas photo

My mom acted as the coordinator - contacting the Inn and getting instructions, list of ingredients, and prepared the menu. We served up chili with garlic buns - comfort food on a cold night.

I love how our family worked together as a team while setting up, serving and cleaning up. We were able to share some love with people that particularly needed it at that time of the year.

12 Days of Christmas

Today's holiday memory... The Potluck

This memory isn't one particular moment, but an annual tradition. I guess it started during my first year of working at The New PL. My friend Lisa and I were working on the morning show and decided to host a Christmas Eve breakfast potluck. It was AWESOME!


We had our staff lounge buzzing with people. We cooked up bacon, sausages, eggs, pancakes... we even blew a fuse and had to move one of the cooking stations to the hall. It was a great morning and people just loved coming together on this special day.

So, the potluck became a tradition. Over the years it morphed from breakfast to a full blown turkey dinner, with all the trimmings! As soon as the credits rolled, the newsroom was transformed to a family dinner table. We all settled into our roles - Jeff brought the ham, Jim did the potatoes, Scrappy made gravy and I always did the stuffing. Turkey duty rotated - depending on peoples' shifts.

I'll always remember teasing Ross relentlessly when he brought buns & butter. He put the butter in the fridge when he got to work (so it wouldn't spoil) and we had rock hard butter at dinner that ripped the buns to shreds. Poor Ross. He took a lot of ribbing over that.

The food was always great and the company even better.