December Photo Challenge Day #9

While cleaning the house today I stopped for a moment to check out my Santa Claus that stays at the front door. I love him. When we were little our best friends on our block would always give us homemade things for Christmas. They were one of my favourite things to see what they made. And generally my parents would re-produce it for a few years later for gifts for everyone, or to sell in a craft show. I remember working on different things while I was little. It was alot of fun and definitely a memory I have from my youth.

Anyway here is my Santa from my childhood:

December Photo Challenge Day #8

I had a "rough" day yesterday and I just wanted some Christmas comfort. My Christmas comfort is candy cane hot chocolate with whipping cream. But since I didn't have any whipping cream I opted for my next favourite thing....

White Christmas

I swear it is my favourite DVD. I love it so much. And I am *so* careful with it. I, generally, don't let anyone else touch it. Sometime at the end of the Christmas season last year I started to let the boys put it in. Well.... it's scratched and now doesn't play on my DVD player. I'm so upset.

Instead Hubby found me another copy and I was able to watch it... well actually 3 times now today!

"Snow! Snow! Snow! Snow! Snow! It won't be long before we will be there with Snow!"

ahhh....

December Photo Challenge Day #7

Just a few more things from our tree.

Today I was noticing, well was brought right to my face by one of the boys, a ornament that I made a few years ago. When we moved into our first house in Toronto we met this really sweet couple across the road. They are wonderful grandparents and quickly took in our family in the neighbourhood. The "Grandma" taught me how to knit washcloths. I was so excited with learning something new that I spent most of my December that year making ones for every single person in our family. I loved it! It was so cool. And to practice she gave me her left over Christmas yarn and I made little baby one for the tree. Here are 2 of the 3 that I made that year.

December Photo Challenge Day #6

I thought while I was working out the tree today I would show you some of my favourites.

Aside from the mixer I got last year these are my favourites. They are the "baby's first Christmas" ones. Kyler's tag fell off this year when the ornament fell off the tree but it is totally fixable!



Mine from 1982:



Kyler's from 2005:



Quinton's from 2007:

December Photo Challenge Day #5

Christmas Cookie Exchange. Now, who doesn't like those words?

This year I'm doing a cookie exchange with church. I plan on using alot of them for exchanges myself with the staff at K and Q's school.

I made some yummy food!! I ended up with about 115 cookies! YUM!

December Photo Challenge Day #4

Today, Sinterklaas came to visit. I know he doesn't really come until the 5th but in our family we have him arrive a bit early, this way he can make it back to Holland on time :) Sinterklaas visits the first Sunday of December and each year the boys get some great treats.

Here is some photos hubby took.

December Photo Challenge Day #3

Every year we go and get a live Christmas Tree. We travel down to Bothwell area and get a tree. It's alot of fun, filled with pony rides, zip lines, train rides, animals, tree, a campfire with home made soup and yummy cookies.

And as always, a visit to the Tinsmith! He is great! My mom has lots by him. Every year the boys get to pick their own decoration. This year the both chose these trees:

December Photo Challenge Day #2

I love everything to do with Christmas. I mean really, who gets a whole month to celebrate someones brithday? It's fantastic!

Every year, ever since I can remember, I have had decorations for the tree given to me, or I made them. Starting in 1993 my parents started to buy Hallmark ones. Each year was something different. I love each and every ones I have gotten. For example, one decade, from 2000 to 2009 I was given WTP ornaments. They are so cute. They are little boys. Well when they were done my mom chose to get decorations about something that reflected you that year.

2010 was a fun year for us. We were settled in our house and finally felt like a "normal" family. We also began, and continued that year, a ministry of having the Young Adults in our church over. This was anyone from just out of high school to 40! We had alot of fun. I would serve supper at 6pm and people could come for that or just hang out at our home around 7pm until about 10pm. It was a blast. Because of this I had to feed alot of people. This blessed me with the chance to try out new food. On my family blog, I'm working on new foods. For the past few years I have tired to get in X amount of new food or new recpies. This was a perfect chance for me to do it and helped me to reach my goal of 75 new ones that year. (This years goal is over 100!)

Anyway my mom gave me this to reflect opening my home and serving people:

December Photo Challenge Day #1

December is a Christmas/seasonal game month. I have done this before. This month I will take pictures of things that remind me of Christmas or the winter season.

I am very excited to get started. We have our tree up and are beginning to decorate as things go along. I can't wait to show you the pictures of things that make me happy, or remind me of Christmas and winter.

Today's is a small decoration I have on the doorknob of one of our rooms. Each year when I pull out the 2 I have somehow they both end up on the boys doors. I believe my mom made them when we were little. Here's our "welcome" to Christmas