Christmas 2013

As we barrel full-throttle into the final hours of 2013, I'm still trying to wrap my head around just how fast this year has gone. It's insane. Another 365 days have blown right on by in what seems like 5 minutes. Like everyone else at this time of year, I find myself reflecting over the past 12 months and trying to figure out what I need, want and hope for out of the next 12.....and beyond. Then I eat some more chocolate, sup another Baileys + peppermint schnapps, cuddle the cats and wait till it passes ;-) A temporary reprieve anyway.

But, before I go galloping into 2014, I'd like to linger a little while longer over Christmas....

Firstly, I can honestly say that finishing work 4 days before Christmas was GREAT! Normally I feel so rushed, furiously wrapping the last few gifts on Christmas Eve and am just about coming up for air when WHAM Christmas day is here, the floor's a carpet of discarded gift-wrap, I've scoffed too many Quality Street (again) and am sliding into the fetal position after a huge non-turkey dinner and too much wine.

The past few year's I've tried to convince myself that I'd like to do some baking beforehand and this year I finally had the time yet still the actual enthusiasm for it evaded me. I'm not even sure why - pure laziness maybe?

On Christmas Eve Lorne and I were among 'those saddoes' heading to the gym at lunchtime for one last burst of energy before the festive over-indulgence. (For the record, even we draw the line at working out on Christmas Day.) And normally we stay home on Christmas Eve, watching a couple of fave movies (Christmas Story, National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation or Bad Santa) and eating a smorgasbord of appies and treats, but this year we went out for a fabulous dinner - returning to Raincity Grill, the very restaurant where Lorne shocked the bajeebers out of me exactly 11 years earlier by presenting me with an engagement ring! (Sooo glad I said "yes".)

We got up around 10am Christmas Day (ahhhh the luxury of no kids) and opened our gifts in-between coffee with Baileys and warm croissants. Lorne spoilt me with an Ipad mini, something I've been deliberating about for a few months, trying to decide if I'd really get use out of one and unable to justify the cost for myself. But hey, now I have one and can even do blog updates on the go, wi-fi permitting.

Veggie, vegan or otherwise - you should try this at home!

We went over to Vicky and Mike's place around 3pm - they cooked a delicious Christmas dinner for us - for which I made yummy veggie sausage in beer gravy as a turkey substitute for myself and even Bronnie wanted some. (We'd actually tried several places trying to find this delicious vegan field roast but to no avail - although I did manage to get my hands on one yesterday, so that'll be our New Year dinner.)

I always admire the creativity at Vicky's house - lovely-handmade decorations, a display of carefully cut paper snowflakes hanging from the ceiling (apparently they were aiming for 100 but gave up at 'just' 60!), handmade cards and home-baked treats. Even down to the artistic gift labels. (I'm useless at drawing so my cards etc are handmade but not drawn.)

Special-teas for Lorne, with home-made labels and careful
instructions. And a hand-decorated mug for me.....although
I simply don't understand the wine reference, not at all ;-)

The B-side to my (wine) mug :-)

And, talking of creativity, here are the adorable cards Bronwyn made for us:

Looks like a beach holiday for me this Christmas

With love to me and the kitties! This one's a keeper for sure.

Lorne's card features a fat Rudolph
and lots of snow.

Bless :-)

We exchanged our gifts before sitting down for dinner a) because Bronwyn and River were so excited (as were we) and b) because Mike had a friend from work, Jose, joining us for dinner - a young Mexican guy who's been in Vancouver 7 months but doesn't really know anyone and was unable to go home for Christmas, so we didn't want him to feel awkward as we all sat opening gifts. He was a nice guy, though perhaps a little quiet, but who can blame him? First Christmas away from home, in a new country, in a language he's still learning.....and spending it with us loonies :-) Christmas among your own family is such a traditional and individual, nostalgic event, I imagine it'd be harder still when you're not even in your own country with your own family, friends, food, traditions etc. (In fact my worst Christmas was the very first one I spent in Canada (1995) - no thanks to the utter jerk I was dating/living with at the time...in not-so-fabulous Calgary. My dinner consisted of frozen chips (fries) and a few chocolates, dished out among various insults, put-downs and criticisms from the man of the hour. Needless to say it doesn't feature on my personal list of fond memories and by March I got the heck out of there and moved to Vancouver - as originally planned. How about that for cutting a long and miserable story short?). But I digress.......

Since Bronwyn and River don't really have any other relatives this side of the pond Lorne and I always like to spoil them a bit and it's always fun shopping for them. The biggest hit was the pair of Cars inflatable boxing gloves that we got River. He and Bronwyn wore one glove each and proceeded to pummel each other, giggling their heads off. It was pretty funny to watch and great to see them play nicely together (so to speak), something they're not always good at. In fact, we'll have to buy a second pair so they can fight out their sibling rivalry with both hands :-)

We gave Vicky the highly-acclaimed book "The Reason I Jump - The Inner Voice of a Thirteen-Year-Old Boy with Autism" written by a young japanese boy Naoki Higashida, described as a very smart, very self-aware, and very charming thirteen-year-old boy with autism, it is a one-of-a-kind memoir that demonstrates how an autistic mind thinks, feels, perceives, and responds in ways few of us can imagine. 

There might have been a little self-interest on my part, since I'd actually like to borrow it when she's read it, not only because it is so well regarded, but also because I'd like to understand more about River and just what he - and all of them as a family - work with around his autism. I have absolute admiration for Vicky in all that she has to deal with, not just with River's autism but also with Bronwyn and basically everything in general. My life seems so easy compared to her day-to-day and yet she still manages to do so much - all the time. I know it can't be easy and I often feel like maybe I'm putting pressure on her to fit in spending time together - which has been far too infrequent the past several months. But we've decided our New Year's resolution has to be to find the time to get together more - just make it happen. And spending time together Christmas day, all of us, was a reminder of what I've been missing!

Anyhooo, I took a few snapshots while we were at Vicky's so here are some of them:

Bronnie had us all sing Happy Birthday to Cactus,
her gerbil, who turned 2 years old.

Ahh River, ever the big beautiful smile amid that crazy pile
of wild and curly hair.

Mike and Vicky - looking lovely and definitely festive!
It's just not Christmas without the obligatory Christmas
cracker tissue-paper crown on your head all afternoon.

Mark popped by to say Happy Christmas &
have a quick drink :-) Great to see him too.

Bronwyn relating a story - you can almost see the funky
new slippers we bought her for Crimbo.

Ahh the man of my life, Lorne - the best gift I could ever
hope for, any day of the year!  

And here's the card I made for Lorne this year, with a
backdrop carefully recycled from one of last year's cards.

And, of course, I have to add one more kitty-cat picture, since they are family n'all:

Mel - sooo busted trying to sneak a peek at their
stocking full of prezzies on Christmas Eve. 

A lovely Christmas in so many ways. I am truly blessed with a good life and a wonderful family (human and feline) - I love you all!