HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Gift from Sandra, made by Sue Dumontel

It's Dec.31st and I just had a yummy Denver sandwich for lunch.  Now I'm ready to tackle this last blog for 2011.

I'm glad that there are twelve days of Christmas, contrary to what the commercial world would have us believe.  I will keep the tree and decorations up until Epiphany on January 6.  I'm enjoying the Christmas specials that I recorded on the PVR system that Clare was instrumental in getting installed.  I also have several Christmas DVD's to watch so that's likely how I will spend this new years eve.

I was checking my year end blog from last year and it ended much the same way.  Howard was home for Christmas, then returned to Tatagwa in Weyburn for a time. I was packing up to move to the house next door to Clare and Jodi's where we housesat last winter.

This year I spent Christmas Eve with Kirk, Shauna, Carter, Lindsay and Jamie along with Louise and Ralph Rasmussen, Shauna's folks.  After our steak and lobster supper we were off to the Christmas Eve service where Carter was the narrator and Lindsay an angel in the telling of the birth of Jesus.  Then we went home and three excited kids could finally open all the gifts under the tree.  But first Kirk put on a recording of "Oh Holy Night" before the opening could take place.  After our snack of Christmas goodies, a plate was filled for Santa along with a glass of milk.  Then we were off to bed.

Carter and Lindsay were the first ones up, waiting for Jamie to join them.  Finally, Lindsay went into Jamie's bedroom and gave her a wake-up kiss.  Then they were able to see what Santa brought - Zuca bags for the girls and golf clubs for Carter.

After breakfast, I left for Estevan to visit Howard before heading home to prepare for Christmas Day supper. Kirk and Shauna picked him up after his nap.  I had roasted the turkey on Friday and made the gravy so just had to heat that up and put a batch of dressing in the crockpot.  There were peach and apple pies in the freezer so I baked one of each as soon as I got home.  The girls brought veggies and dip, fruit salad, cooked turnips, cranberry sauce and buns. Shauna peeled the potatoes.  When I went to make the traditional green bean dish, I could not find the can of french fried onions that I just knew I had.  I finally decided that the can had gone to Estevan, the joys of living in two different houses. The kids aren't fond of turkey so Grandma had M & M chicken strips for them.

The adult table with Doric china, Avon goblets

The kids table with Christmas Story dishes

Relaxing in the living-room

We usually have our gift opening in the basement family room around the fireplace.  But this year we met upstairs as Howard isn't able to do stairs.  The kids retreated to the basement after gift opening.

We knew it was bedtime when squabbles broke out among the cousins!  They all want to sleep on the hide-a-bed in the living-room but it only sleeps three.  The rest ended up in sleeping bags on couches or the floor.  We slept well for having fifteen people "all snug in their beds".

Looking at a picture book of the Erickson reunion

December 26th is Boxing Day in Canada, but more importantly it's Carter's birthday.  He turned ten this year, into the double digits.  He told us he'd be into triple digits in 90 more years!

Good wrapping by Eric!

A composite stick!

After birthday cupcakes, it was time to head for home.  Carter's party would continue in Lampman with Shauna's side of the family coming to help celebrate.  Jodi, Clare and Abbey were off to Weyburn to take part in a curling spiel.  There were 32 rinks and they played four end games.   Greg and Laurel's headed to Weyburn too.  Greg and Dawson did some curling on Clare's team, changing off with Jodi and Abbey.  Their final game ended in a tie so the skips each threw a rock to the button.  Clare's rock was just a few inches short so they had to settle for second place.  Not bad out of 32 rinks!  They'll be looking forward to the boxing day spiel in 2012.

I spent the rest of this week at home, except for a trip to Estevan on Wednesday to visit Howard.  His cousins, Linda (Pederson) and Ernie Wacker were also visiting Aunt Viola and Howard that day so we had a good visit with them.  I enjoyed hearing about their trip to Norway last June and their trip on the Hurtigruten from Bergen to the top of Norway and back.  They were on the same boat that we had sailed on from Bergen to Trondheim in 2005, the Nordlys.  

On Monday we are back to quilting at Trinity, Torquay.  There is a shortage of tops so I got busy and sewed up two this week.  There's no shortage of material in this house!  We are encouraged to use big pieces in LWR quilts so I did just that and made 21inch squares.  It only takes twelve squares to make a 60" x 80" quilt.

I actually spent part of the afternoon watching the classic hockey game between former Philadelphia NHL players and former players from the New York Rangers.  It was played outdoors at the Phillies baseball stadium turned outdoor hockey rink, the way hockey was played at the start.  The Flyers won 3-1 but the score wasn't the important thing in this game.  It was a unique chance for players over the years to play together in front of their hometown fans.  Over 47,000 fans came out to show their support for their heroes from years past.  Bernie Parent, at 66 years, donned goalie mask and played in the net for a few minutes.  Todd had his picture taken with Bernie last April in Philadelphia.  Clare and Todd are both Flyer fans so I guess that's why I was interested in this game!  The "real game" between those two current teams takes place on Monday.

As this year draws to a close, less than seven hours from now, I want to wish each of you God's best for the new year ahead.  We don't always know what is best for us and do not know what we will be facing in 2012.  What we do know is that God loves us and will be with us each step of the way.  Thank you to all of you who follow my blog.  Not many of you leave comments, but I do know that I have some faithful followers and I appreciate that.  Living by myself takes getting used to and it helps to have a way of sharing with others.  Thanks too for your prayers, phone calls, cards, letters, pictures and gifts, each thoughtful expression means a lot to me.  

I will begin the new year with worship service at Trinity, Torquay tomorrow morning at 9:00.  The coffee fellowship after service is so special too.  Happy New Year to all.