We started one week ago with a lovely visit from my youngest sister and niece. They drove 2 1/2 hours through awful weather conditions to visit my mother and us. Here we are sharing a moment and posing for photographer - Don.Then on to Christmas Eve with a trip to our daughters home for our traditional pyjama party, loads of yummy hors d'oeuvres .... meatballs with pomegranate sauce, Spanakopita, sausage rolls, delicious homemade cream of tomato soup, sourdough bread, mini quiche & more.
Then our annual viewing of the Polar Express movie.
Zander and Poppa snuggled up in one corner of the sofa, Sebrina & I with Miss Gabriella snuggled between us .... a moment with Mommy for a cuddle then over to Mammy for a cuddle. Ryan, Jayden and daddy on the floor and Nanny in her wing chair which Mike kindly carried up to the loft for her.
After the movie the children went to bed after leaving a treat for Santa and the reindeer and we left to go home too. You know everyone has to be in bed asleep before Santa will visit.
In the morning, we got up and opened our stockings. New dress socks, a DVD, a book for Don and his favourite chocolate Toblerone. For me a new book "A Thousand Splendid Suns" by Khaled Hosseini who also wrote "The Kite Runner", a gift card from Starbucks (YUMMY) and David Fosters new Hit Man DVD/CD. We filled a stocking for my mom which she thoroughly enjoyed ... crossword puzzle books, a computerized Sudoku game, maple sugar candy and chocolate for her too. She was quite overwhelmed and said she had not had a stocking since she was a little girl.
Then a yummy breakfast of sausage and quiche with homemade raisin toast.
Then our annual viewing of the Polar Express movie.
Zander and Poppa snuggled up in one corner of the sofa, Sebrina & I with Miss Gabriella snuggled between us .... a moment with Mommy for a cuddle then over to Mammy for a cuddle. Ryan, Jayden and daddy on the floor and Nanny in her wing chair which Mike kindly carried up to the loft for her.
After the movie the children went to bed after leaving a treat for Santa and the reindeer and we left to go home too. You know everyone has to be in bed asleep before Santa will visit.
In the morning, we got up and opened our stockings. New dress socks, a DVD, a book for Don and his favourite chocolate Toblerone. For me a new book "A Thousand Splendid Suns" by Khaled Hosseini who also wrote "The Kite Runner", a gift card from Starbucks (YUMMY) and David Fosters new Hit Man DVD/CD. We filled a stocking for my mom which she thoroughly enjoyed ... crossword puzzle books, a computerized Sudoku game, maple sugar candy and chocolate for her too. She was quite overwhelmed and said she had not had a stocking since she was a little girl.
Then a yummy breakfast of sausage and quiche with homemade raisin toast.
After breakfast we three opened our gifts.
Sweaters & shirts and Toronto Maple Leaf goodies for Don.
A red & black herringbone wrap to keep her warm and the Clapper for mom to help her get her lights turned on when she's going upstairs.
And for me this beautiful gold bracelet and then the biggest surprise of all ................
Tickets to the "Jersey Boys" which incidentally I have been talking about since it opened in Toronto a few months ago.
So as I unwrapped this last package, I discovered tickets for row F in the orchestra section dated for Valentines Day.
Now it was time to get dressed and head over to our daughters for the real fun of the day.
We were greeted with the usual excitement at the door ... regaled with stories of who got what from Santa.
I unpacked all of our gifts (which incidentally Santa left at our home for the grand babies) and placed them around the tree. Then we all gathered together to open presents, one at a time please so we can try to make the fun last and all enjoy what each child is getting.
New Roots hoodies for each of the boys, new books, the Star Wars Clone Wars game for the Wii along with new Star Wars light sabers.
A new hand knit poncho for Gabriella along with a collectible
Li Bien ornament. (These are individually painted through a small opening in each glass ornament on the interior surface. It's delicate, intricate work painted in reverse to create a one-of-a-kind keepsake). Two new Madonna books, "The English Roses & "Mr. Peabody's Apples". A complete set of kitchen pots & pans, mixing bowls & tools, tea set and hand carved wooden fruit to go along with the beautiful new handmade wooden kitchen that Santa left.
Then the biggest excitement of all was when we gave each of the boys a remote controller and Mike a new blue ray disc.
Jayden our middle grandson immediately upon opening said "These are for a PS3 (gaming system), so Don went into the bedroom and brought out another package. As he came out he said, "I almost forgot Santa left this parcel at our house for you too." All four of them, Ryan, Jayden, Zander and our big boy Mike had fun pulling the paper off to reveal their new and best gift a new PlayStation 3.
Then when all the fun was over, Sebrina headed out to the kitchen to lay out a delicious dinner, turkey, stuffing, ham, lingonberry sauce, homemade (artery clogging) three cheese & full cream baked macaroni, yams and white potatoes mixed & mashed and delicious gravy all washed down with a scrumptious sparkling Italian white wine.
Then coffee, liquors (for the adults) and pumpkin cheesecake.
I can still feel how uncomfortable my stomach felt after this feast just thinking about all this food.
We had a wonderful, magical day of love, giving and sharing with our beautiful family.
I hope you all had a magical day too.
Sweaters & shirts and Toronto Maple Leaf goodies for Don.
A red & black herringbone wrap to keep her warm and the Clapper for mom to help her get her lights turned on when she's going upstairs.
And for me this beautiful gold bracelet and then the biggest surprise of all ................Tickets to the "Jersey Boys" which incidentally I have been talking about since it opened in Toronto a few months ago.
So as I unwrapped this last package, I discovered tickets for row F in the orchestra section dated for Valentines Day.Now it was time to get dressed and head over to our daughters for the real fun of the day.
We were greeted with the usual excitement at the door ... regaled with stories of who got what from Santa.
I unpacked all of our gifts (which incidentally Santa left at our home for the grand babies) and placed them around the tree. Then we all gathered together to open presents, one at a time please so we can try to make the fun last and all enjoy what each child is getting.
New Roots hoodies for each of the boys, new books, the Star Wars Clone Wars game for the Wii along with new Star Wars light sabers.
A new hand knit poncho for Gabriella along with a collectible
Li Bien ornament. (These are individually painted through a small opening in each glass ornament on the interior surface. It's delicate, intricate work painted in reverse to create a one-of-a-kind keepsake). Two new Madonna books, "The English Roses & "Mr. Peabody's Apples". A complete set of kitchen pots & pans, mixing bowls & tools, tea set and hand carved wooden fruit to go along with the beautiful new handmade wooden kitchen that Santa left.Then the biggest excitement of all was when we gave each of the boys a remote controller and Mike a new blue ray disc.
Jayden our middle grandson immediately upon opening said "These are for a PS3 (gaming system), so Don went into the bedroom and brought out another package. As he came out he said, "I almost forgot Santa left this parcel at our house for you too." All four of them, Ryan, Jayden, Zander and our big boy Mike had fun pulling the paper off to reveal their new and best gift a new PlayStation 3.
Then when all the fun was over, Sebrina headed out to the kitchen to lay out a delicious dinner, turkey, stuffing, ham, lingonberry sauce, homemade (artery clogging) three cheese & full cream baked macaroni, yams and white potatoes mixed & mashed and delicious gravy all washed down with a scrumptious sparkling Italian white wine.
Then coffee, liquors (for the adults) and pumpkin cheesecake.
I can still feel how uncomfortable my stomach felt after this feast just thinking about all this food.
We had a wonderful, magical day of love, giving and sharing with our beautiful family.
I hope you all had a magical day too.
1 comment:
Sounds like a wonderful Christmas. As for A Thousand Splendid Suns, I personally found it lacking compared to Kite Runner, when I read it a year ago. Hope you fare better :)
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