Christmas 2017

Looking for the perfect tree in Grandpa's back field

So, we don't do Elf on a Shelf.  I'm just not comfortable with a little elf spying on children reporting all their misbehaviours back to Santa.  So instead we do "Elfie" our own version.  Elfie comes around the beginning of December, just like Elf on a Shelf and Elfie gets up to mischief each night, well, at least each night that I remember to do something with him!!!  Elfie however, looks for all the good things Grace does.  He leaves notes each morning telling her what he noticed.  So far, it's working great for us!  One little gliche this year however.  Mommy misplaced Elfie.  I don't know where he went because he wasn't in our Christmas decorations like he should have been.  So I had to think fast and create Sparkle, Elfie's friend!  On this particular evening, Sparkle got out Grace's homework and got busy!  Everyone thought he did a great job, even the teacher!

Celebrating the Feast of St. Nicholas with chocolate letters at Grandma and Grandpa's

Decorating the tree with our favourite ornaments

Setting up the Nativity.  Grace moves the characters around regularly, setting up sorts of interesting arrangements!

Christmas baking can get a little messy!!!!lol

Concert night at school! 

This is one of the ornaments Grace made at school this year.  I love its simplicity!  And I love that it's totally her own creation!

Sprinkling reindeer food out on the snow on Christmas Eve.  Oh the excitement!!!!!

Grace participated in the pageant for her first time this year.  She was beside herself with excitement all day and was a fantastic angel!!!!  Such a precious moment for me, I was so proud!

Having a little fun.... sharing a Christmas treat moment!

Christmas Parades and Festivals

So I figure I only have a few more years where Grace is truly into parades and various Christmas festivities offered by the communities around us.  I know that 6, 7 years from now she will be busy with her own independence, hanging out with friends, doing her extra curricular activities, whatever is going on in our lives at that point.  So, for now I take full advantage of all the wonderful Christmas activities we have going on in our surrounding communities.  Most of them are cheap or free which makes them all that more appealing.  We go to parades, Christmas in the park, and street parties.  We do it all.  Here's a few highlights, including of course the hot chocolate!!!

Watching our local parade.  It was a miserable night, like truly miserable.  Not really fun at all but the girls and my nephew made the best of it. 

No parade would be complete without the hot chocolate!!!

Funny, for Grace, the highlight of the night was playing at the park... in the dark!  She loved it!

Not so sure of this guy.....

Waiting for the Tractor parade in our town to get started.  Grace found a friend from school and they passed the time running around in the dark

So, after spending a few hours wandering along the streets, watching the short Santa Claus parade, I had no intention of staying for the tractor parade at the street festival.  It wasn't starting until after 8 and we had already watched our own town's parade of lights with the farm equipment.  However, Grace was having such a good time listening to Dan the Music Man and dancing and catching bubbles and hula hooping that by the time we started to head back to the car people were already lining the streets waiting for the next event.  I had the wagon and there was NO WAY I was going to get through that crowd and make the long trek back to the car.  So we decided to stay and wait it out.  Neither one of us was overly happy about it but there wasn't really another option.  Just as the first tractor was making its way past us, I glanced down at Grace and saw this...

Grace, sound asleep, her face covered in hot chocolate and sticky marshmallow, sitting on a rock.  She slept through the whole parade, I got her to the car and home still sleeping!  She makes me laugh!

Autumn Fun

Taking care of business and having some fun at the same time!

I had a new gazebo put up this Fall with the help of my niece and nephews.  Everybody had to do their share, including Grace!

Playing hide and seek.

Some of the hard working men in my family!

Stopping for a little fun

Back to work...

Planting tulips with her class mascot

The bird bath in the backyard had a thin layer of ice on it and with the leaves sitting under the ice and the sun shining on it, it created a really beautiful effect.  I however couldn't get the angle right to avoid shadows on the photo.  Need to keep working on my photo skills!

My beautiful girl