About Me

December 31, 2016

Away from Home.


We missed this guy lots on Christmas Day. He and
his love had to stay on the West Coast due to their
work schedules. Thankful he was home for a visit
in October for Thanksgiving and we saw him again
in November when we traveled our for a family
funeral. Looking forward to seeing them both
sometime in the New Year or early Spring. It's
always hard to have one of our kids away from
home, especially during the holidays. I'm glad
he can travel and we can connect with Skype too.

My Favorite Gift.

 I waited all year for it and was
so excited my dh remembered!


Sadly, I read it the first day.
I truly wanted it to go on.


Now I finally get to tackle The
Fairy Tale Girl. Half way thru.

Christmas Dinner.


I have to find the super nice pictures of
our Christmas dinner. This is the before
shot ~ before the silver was on the table
and the wine glasses. Dinner was very
scrumptious .... roasted turkey, gravy,
cranberries, roasted veggies, fresh buns
and mashed potatoes. We had a fizzy
punch along with wine and pickles,
pickles, pickles. Yum. So good. I
didn't think I'd eat for days after ....

Christmas Morning.

Like previous Christmas mornings,
ours was relaxed and enjoyable. We
all slept in a bit, then had a scrumptious
breakfast, followed by tidying up and
then it was time for stockings. With
music in the background, we giggled
and shared what we found inside. Then
dh becomes "Santa" and starts to hand
out gifts. I'm still amazed how our kids,
even as grown ups, take their time with
each gift, showing what they received
and what it means to them. Love it!

Christmas Eve.





We had a quiet but fun and very
traditional Christmas Eve. A bit
of baking for the morning, setting
the table for dinner, a last bit of
cleaning, reading a Christmas book,
putting out cookies and milk for
Santa, filling the stockings once
our little guy was tucked into bed
and sitting by the tree, with just the
fairy lights on, sharing memories of the
year and our excitement for morning.

The Boy is Six.

Some photos from our grandson's
birthday in November:







Such a sweet boy. Can't believe he
 is now 6 and grown so tall and smart.

Blustery Day.

We've not really had a blizzard yet but
we have had a blustery day here and there.






More Decorating.

I found more pictures I took
of our front entrance the night
we hung up the mirror set. Here
is the radio decorated:


And the chandelier we hung that casts
the most amazing light and shadows:

Christmas Cards.

A tradition we love to do is writing
and sending out Christmas Cards.
Although each year, there are less
cards coming through our mailbox,
we have decided to continue to send
ours out. I love receiving greetings
from family and friends, both with cards
and online cards. Both are cherished.


After the Service.



Once the service is done, we
gather in the reception hall for
homemade goodies and tea. A
beautiful and healing evening.

During the Service.

As the service was under way,
bereaved parents come up to the
front of the chapel to light candles.
Soon, the hall is filled with light.









So many candles. So many little ones
remembered. So many older ones too.

Candlelighting.


Before the service.


No candles just yet.

Mini Apple Pie.


A friend made this for us to try. It was so
good and fun to eat. The work that would
have gone in to making these tiny pies
is incredible. Grateful for lovely friends.

Remembering.

On the 2nd Sunday of every December, at 7 p.m.,
in every time zone around the world, bereaved 
parents gather at home or in public venues to
light candles to remember our sweet babies
and precious children who have died, gone too 
soon, but never forgotten. Remembered forever.


Our candles remembering Bretton, Ciara, Berkeley,
Cadence, Cambria, Beau, Cabriola and Bentley.


Sweet babies. Our hearts ache. But our
memories are supported and ongoing.


Teddies and candles. 
Always our favorite.


And patched bears, loved and held.
Grateful for this night and our community.

Scrumptious Baking.





No words. Just pictures.
Enjoy this scrumptious sight.

Solitary.


When my dh was in his theatre production,
I sometimes would come in to the City
to watch the show. Or just hang out. One
night, I wanted to finish up some shopping.


I did something I've never done before.
I walked down a typically packed street,
one that in the summer is notorious for
racing cars, bar fights and other not so
savory activities. On this night, it was
very quiet and perfect for checking out
the unique and locally owned shops. I
am quite impressed with myself for
venturing out alone, chatting with the
shop owners and finding great gifts.

Tiny Wreaths.


Decorating at Christmas is so much fun. This
year, I found 2 tiny wreaths in our storage boxes.
I had wanted to decorate the tea cupboard/
butler's pantry but didn't have any items that fit.


Just big enough to make a statement.
Small enough to be cute and sweet.


Easy project to do. The wreaths, ribbon
and some painters tape is all I needed.


After measuring and cutting the ribbon, 
I secured the wreath to the front of the
cabinet door by taping several strips of
the painters tape on the back of the door.


The finished project looks great and is
perfect for this little area of our home.


With both tiny wreaths up, I was happy
with the tea cupboard/butler's pantry decor.