Disclaimer!!!! Sorry these pictures are wierd! Blogger in 2013 has changed inserting images it seems. Plus the fact that my cleaning lady is sick and I am trying to work and blog and do laundry all at once today, plus the fact I have no idea how to download my good pics from my iphone. Equals:
Wierd pics with no kids in them. Ones where I look ugly and normally delete. Disjointed and make no sense and tell no story. Worked with what I had on hubby's phone sorry all kiddies!!!!! Savvy I know I know...we have so many more picsw..I just cant figure it out!!!!
The Holidays are filled with so much. Good food, good
drink, good weather, good books. However the things that always stand out for
me the most are the good times with my family and the good times with our
friends.
What I have so appreciated over the years is the way that
no matter what we always make time for our friends and they make time for us.
The same goes for our close family.
We see our friends and family at very predictable times
of the years and pretty much do the same things year after year and for us all
this is really the winning formula. We don’t leave getting together to
chance-it is too precious. It is scheduled months and months ahead and
sometimes even a year ahead. We are all committed and we all make it happen. So
yes there are some spontaneous things in between but the important parts are
planned and happen.
And what we have noticed too is that our friends each
give us different things and gifts in our lives. Our time spent with them is so
different and so unique.
The best thing about the friends we see is the gifts it
gives our kids..Friends like cousins, and that type of community is hard to
come by. Our kids can count on the fact that they see their various buddies for
summer pool party, Regatta at Holiday, summer at Trent, pool parties on
Bathhurst, trips to Toronto and Niagara, New Years at Sweethearts, meetings half
ways in Kingston, winter fun at Trent etc…..
It is something solid in their lives they can depend on
and I am thrilled to be able to give them that.So as I say goodbye to the
holidays I also say a word of thanks for the good times we shared with our
buddies:
Sweethearts and Holiday hightlights: the messy porch full
of boots that prevents us to the basement but reminds us of the chaotic lives
we share, tobogganing and kill joys, hockey and forcing helmets, sitting by the
fire the six of us as often as possible, Sweethearts truck and “my truck is
stuck heehee, chairs being delivered and truck stuck again, sausage stew and
yummies, the kids having a blast as usual, New years and dancing, new years and
kids running outside at midnight, lots and lots and lots of kids
everywhere,subways sandwich iditos, lots of blond hair, lots of good times.
Sweethheart toast and commitment to always always be together and make time for
each other, saying grace with two catholic girls, going around the table and
saying what we are thankful for.
Highlights with Savvys :
All the kids reunited and excited to see each other, lots
and lots of hats on, boys and boys and boys! Puberty for twoJ) Dances by the girls,
nighttimes beautiful skate in the park, Savvy and wanting to skate alone, skating
and pictures, tobogganing and 4 by 4 tales, lots of muffins and doughnuts and
toaster strudels, big chili and chili praise, Sam’s amazing grace!, chatting by
the fire, talking about being 40 and above, skiing and the 45 minute decent,
poutine buying for the godson, the better ski hill and Zandra’s great ski, Sam and
Josh falling asleep almost during Thai , the no fortune cookie Chinese, the
salty dumplings, Protector picture show, pictures and more pictures, dragons den,
Beauty and early skiing, adults in Jacuzzi, talks of universities, good times,
snuggles by the fire, long drives home and Little Miss Sunshine !
Lots of family and friends we did not get to see either…..and
can’t wait to hear tonight from Chiffons about Jamaica trip! Soulkeeper coming
soon to Trent and Roman sleeping through the night hooray!!! Love that sleep
expert girlfriend..she is brilliant. Cant wait for Childhood Wonder and Soulekeeper to come back with their kids again..a new tradition and one I want to keep!!!
So a good holiday overall with some ups and downs but friends
were a definite up. So were many other things. Being sick for more than half
was a definite downer.
The last day of our holidays was surprisingly one of my
favorite. I just can’t get rid of this domestic goddess part of myself that has
suddenly appeared! After our guests left, me and the boys cleaned and cleaned
and cleaned all day long after being at Trent for a whole two weeks. We vacuumed
and took a break, we dusted and took a break, we did laundry and took a break, and
we packed clothes and sat down to leftover Thai over a counter with candlelight.
And for some reason it felt good! And we all liked it! Crazy but true!
While my daughter and her doting Dad was at Beauty’s
first ski competition!!! Up at 6am and out the for at 7am and she was great! First
race was ok and second one she was super proud of!!!! She did great and we were
all proud of her. Home they came at 4pm just in time for a long family soak in
the clean house and nice hot tub-a perfect ending-all five of us together. Then
finished packing up and headed home for Beauty to fall into bed after ravioli
and the rest of us showered and then ordered in Kojax and ate chocolate bars
and laughed and laughed and laughed.
I don’t know if it was the cleaning and getting things
back in order that felt good, or Beauty starting a new sport and bonding with
her biggest hero, or all the gratitude we have for the good friends in our life….but
something about yesterday felt good. Renewal I think. A great holiday and a
great year ahead.
I am
head over heels with my family and my life overall.
I need
to remind myself of that often
It may not feel like that every moment, or even everyday…but
the truth of the matter is I am blissfully happy and everthing I am searching
for was right in that Jacuzzi with me last night at Trent.
The challenge is always to look at what you have and be
grateful for it..and to remind yourself that life is perfect because it is
imperfect.
And I hit the gym this morning at 6:50am!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
