Christmas

The girls swear they didn't remember me saying 7:30 and came in excitedly at 7:00, which really isn't that early. The last few years I haven't gotten up to watch them do stockings - they take lots of pictures and I come down after. This year I really wanted to be there, so they patiently waiting until 7:30 and then it was stocking time!

After stockings they each opened one present.

Fiona opened Jeff. (She had a plastic squeaky banana that she named Jeff. She loved Jeff and then Milo ate him. Ken found a banana stuffy online and so Jeff lives again!)

Alice opened her two by two rubick's cube.

And Kate found her squirrel.

The girls helped Milo open his squeaky toy.

Then Ken made pancakes for the girls, made dough for rolls, and printed off his talk, while I took Milo for a walk. The sun was bright and beautiful, but it was cold!

We had one hour of church today and it was pretty perfect! There was lots of singing, one musical number - the bishopric sang Far Far Away on Judea's Plains, and three brief talks, Ken was the concluding speaker. He spoke about the gift of Jesus.

After church we came home and took a family picture in front of the tree. I love this pic, it's PERFECT!

We all changed into comfy clothes, Ken shaped the dough into rolls and then it was present time. I actually took pics of everyone opening everything. Part of me wants to post every picture! But I know that's ridiculous, so I will control myself.

I think what I loved most about the present opening was the time. Each present was opened one by one. Each was admired, and enjoyed one by one. Everyone was excited for everyone. It felt really, really lovely!

Ken's Presents: A puzzle, two pairs of comfy pants, and a book "A History of Canada in Ten Maps".
Wendy's Presents: Aveda shampoo and conditioner and Fruitfuls. (The girls dressing in matching jammies for Christmas morning!)

Kate's Presents: Pajamas, Indigo gift card, Corgi butt warming bag, Periwinkle (squishmallow), blanket - one from Mom and Dad and one from Auntie Suzanne, Luna's wand, two books, money for clothes from Grandma, squirrel plush, two soft decorative pillos, snowball maker, and a hooded sweatshirt.

Alice's Presents: An inflatable lounge chair thing, a book, pajamas, stretch bands, a yoga matt, a two by two rubik's cube, popit game, big huge hooded sweatshirt, sleep mask, puffy sticker kit, a water bottle, money for clothes from Grandma, and a blanket from Auntie Suzanne.

Fiona's Presents: Our Generation bed and picnic food, Magical Minis - Hogwarts castle and characters, Harry Potter Lego, pajamas, a book, warm pants, banana plush and bunny plush, $25 Robux, Rock climbing gift card, fruitfuls, a blanket from Auntie Suzanne and a Little People barbie dreamhouse from Grandma.

After the present opening there was much enjoying of the presents! Andrew came over around 2:30 and food preparation went into high gear. Andrew and Ken made everything. I cleaned off the table, under the table, and I set the table. And I did laundry lol. 

The missionaries came over around 5 and I made them sit and take pics so I could post them on Facebook for their Mamas. Elder Finch on the left is from Tennessee, and Elder King on the right is from Idaho. 

Then we feasted! For Christmas dinner we had: Turkey, roasted sweet potato and Brussel sprouts, mashed potatoes, mashed carrot and turnip, rolls, cauliflower and cheese sauce, and for dessert apple crisp and ice cream. To drink there was apple cider, pomegranate soda and root beer. The foot was amazing, and almost entirely allergy safe, rolls and cheese sauce aside! Ken and Andrew are an amazing team in the kitchen.

After dinner the missionaries shared a spiritual thought, Alice played a bit with Fiona and then it was done.

Alice: Take my picture Mom.

We had a very, very happy Christmas. It was cozy and fun and full of happy voices. You could feel the love. If all good things come from God, which they do, then today was the fulfillment of all Christmas should be. It was happy time spent with family enjoying each other. I'm so thankful for my Savior Jesus Christ. I'm so thankful for His birth and His death. I'm thankful for the joy and beauty of Christmas.

An Adventure Walk

I love, love, LOVE going on walks in my neighbourhood. But I don't like doing the same walk over and over again, so I have a few different walks that I do. This morning, with Ken still not fully feeling better from his cold, I asked Fiona to go on a walk with me. I wanted to see where this new path that I found in the dark the other night went to. I was up for an adventure.

It is also Dad day today. Four years ago, having left my phone on during the night, I was awakened to the news that my Daddy had passed away. I like doing something to honour Dad Day. I have worn one of the goofy sweatshirts the past three years. Last year I ate ice cream wearing a bacon sweatshirt. 

I don't really ever remember going on a walk with my Dad. We didn't go on family hikes. It wasn't something we did. Dad liked to walk somewhere. The last few years of his life it was walking to the Hasty Market across from his building, or Wimpy's around the corner for a snack. A five km walk wouldn't be my Dad's idea of a good time lol. But I sure had fun on our adventure walk this morning. And my Dad would have loved Milo, so he maybe would go on a little walk with me?! It feels goofy wishing that my Dad could have met my dog.

An Adventure Walk - Wendy, Fiona and Milo

Fiona and I set off around just after nine. 

 We quickly made it to the new path I found two nights ago.

Although pretty, it didn't go anywhere.

We walked along the crescent and then down the next one to see if perhaps there might be another path. We found a path between streets, and thought maybe we might have found something.

There were posted signs "conservation lands" but no paths, and a fence. So on we went.

A little bit further north in the same subdivision, we found some kind of utility building, and another little pond. 

From here we walked west, the majority of our walk we were headed north. When we got out to Pickering Beach road, Fiona was able to get her bearings.

I thought she'd want to turn back towards home, but she didn't. So we walked north again to Bayly and then we headed east along Bayly.

Fiona was super excited to find a sign that said Carruther's Creek, because she kept thinking that every pond was Carruther's Creek.

This willow tree is at the corner of Bayly and Shoal Point and Fiona really wanted to take a pic by it, so we crossed Bayly to take a pic, and then crossed right back.

Then we walked south on Shoal Point.

This was when Fiona said "I can't, I've walked too far".

I knew though, that it wasn't too much further to walk home, so I told her, let's look on maps and see. So we looked on maps and it said that it was a 20 minute walk to home. So this is the face of, I can do twenty more minutes!

This is at the end of Callander Court. I knew exactly where we were, but Fiona still had no clue. 

We walked down the path from Callander, and when she recognized the Pooh Sticks bridge, she was so excited! 

I wish we'd taken a pic of the two of us (three including the dog) hiding behind my car in the driveway waiting for Ken to come out to get us, but I didn't. I had been messaging him on our walk and he had offered to come get us. I thought it would be funny to call him and ask him to come get us and then hide in the driveway. Fiona had so much fun being sneaky with me, and Ken laughed just like I said he would. 

I hope my girls will happily remember our crazy adventure walks! I love my girls. I love Saturday walks. I love my neighbourhood. I love my Dad. I love goofy sweatshirts. And I love my Ken who's almost better and making me pulled pork because I asked him to. I feel so extraordinarily blessed.