Christmas catch up

 I haven't felt like blogging this Christmas. My brother, Simon, is very ill and everything else takes a back seat until we find out what is wrong and what the treatment will entail. To that end I have also delayed my winter travel. So this is just a quick review of Christmas to get some photos off my camera and on to the blog.

The trip to Arizona was a Christmas gift from Christine and Jason and we all had a lovely time there and I enjoyed it enough that I think I will go back.

Mike and Aimee moved into a new house, in St Albert (near Edmonton) at the beginning of December so I went for a visit and to help with some painting.

The whole house was painted brown so Mike, Aimee and I painted the living room (shown), dining room, hallway and kitchen a pale grey (with a touch of blue in it) and it brightened the space significantly.

 

The kitchen is s large space with much less storage or counter space than their last place, so they bought and built this unit.

Avery wanted his room black and white but was talked into a compromise of the light grey and dark charcoal (called "zombie"). Mike and Aimee had to go back to work so this was largely my job. Avery plans on decorating with video game posters and a decal of video game consoles.

I got started on Maya's room...the pale grey and a sky blue (we talked her out of turquoise) and she plans a rainbow and butterfly decal for her wall.

When not painting or babysitting I worked on River's stocking. George's mum started the tradition by making felt stockings for Mike and Chris and I have continued it with stockings for Aimee, Jason, Avery, Maya, Cigi and now River.

The weather was surprisingly warm, and cloudy, for Edmonton and if I hadn't been so busy with the house and kids I would have enjoyed walking around their new neighbourhood. I managed to spend an afternoon with Aimee shopping for their Christmas gifts, which I left for her to wrap.

Chris, Jason and Cigi came for a few days before Christmas and we had a mini Christmas celebration and had Daniele, Fiona and Rick for a Christmas lunch (Nicola and David were sick and couldn't make it).

We also fitted in a walk around the Simcoe Panorama of Lights and Cigi saw her first live Santa. She was mesmerized and when he asked her what she wanted for Christmas she said "socks" (good job I had bought her some - with baby Yoda on).

So it was then a very quite Christmas, just Rick and I. We did do the whole turkey dinner thing.

Christmas Day was grey and mild

so we had an "urban hike" on the pier,

beach

and around town.

There were lots of people out walking off the turkey

and Mergansers in the water.