CHRISTMAS book lover

We have a plethora of Christmas books that I bring out each year. To be honest the basket I have doesn't hold them all anymore which is kind of sad because I really like how great the basket goes with my Christmas decor!  I wanted to record a few of our favourties from this year because it seems to change up from Christmas to Christmas.  We are LOVE LOVE LOVE Charlie Brown's sweet story and the Nutcracker became popular as we anticipated getting to go the ballet again.  My favourties are the first three above, the golden book is illustrated by Eloise Wilkin who I love and the 'Christmas Story' also beautifully tells the story of the nativity, containing the sweetest depictions of baby Jesus.  And then there is 'Room for a Little One', I get emotional each time I read it.  

We put away all of the Christmas decorations and although I totally LOVE setting things up for the holiday's I LOVE the clean feeling when everything is put away. BUT I am sad to let the books go back to storage!  Just wanted to record so I remember. 

~ Mrs. P

Ice Castles YEG

Wowzers were the Ice Castles amazing!!!  It was cold, bitter bitter cold but we really wanted to check these out over our Christmas holiday's.  Even though school went right up until December 23rd this whole relaxed vacation after actual Christmas is FANTASTIC!  Anyway, you pre buy your tickets so we bought tickets and picked to go in late afternoon so we could see the Ice Castles in both day light and in the dark.   It was stunning!

Love these people, love our life!

~ Mrs. P

favourite things about the season

I love this time of year!  There are so many special things that happen, I just want to slow the time and treasure everything.  I take a ton of pictures but some things just can't be encapsulated in a photo - though I try!!! So a few of my favourites for this time of year;

* Watching Christmas movies together! These women snuggled together, oh my heart.  Family Movie Night since about mid-November has come from our stash of Christmas movies, favourites being the old school animated Grinch (girls top choice) and Christmas Vacation (our adult top choice).

* Checking the mail and getting to open Christmas cards from friends.  I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this tradition!! Some friends send out emails and that is cool too but I so enjoy sitting on the couch looking at cards and reading annual Christmas letters.

* Pulling out the Christmas books and reading them each night together. There are so many good ones we have collected over the years!  The girls have their favourties that we have read so many times these past few weeks.

* The Christmas tunes that fill our home, the vibe that while we are baking, cooking, decorating, playing.  LOVE Christmas music! The girls and Graham's favourite cd is Duck Dynasty Chirstmas, mine is our new pick up Johnny Cash Christmas.

* The glow of the Christmas tree.  It is on 24/7 so when we wake in the morning it is glowing and at night when we all go to bed it is just the glow of the tree, so peaceful.

* Our Advent Bags are opened each morning in December with great anticipation!  Perhaps one of my most favourite traditions.  A little toy or treat and an ornament woith a name for the Savior and scripture!  Sets the tone each day.
* The NATIVITY story....the multiple sets we now have that sit in a basket on our hearth (we literally five cool different sets) that the girls rearrange and play with. This year we added a wooden peg people set that I scored at a great deal that has beautiful hand painted details. We have a stunning Willowtree Nativity that I have always wanted a stable for and this year Graham built a wood one for me and stained it, it is gorgeous and perfect. We also act out the Nativity each year with extended family and it is tremendously special. The girls start planning who they will get to be and take their roles seriously, there is much anticipation. I love that the Savior's birth is central for our family, or we strive for it to be anyway.

* As cheesy as it sounds having so much family time is my most favourite!!!  Both with extended family and our little crew just the four of us.  There are many, many great things that happen in December but doing it together, golden!

As the girls grow it will be fun to see what traditions are their favourites.

~ Mrs. P

CHRISTMAS with the Polischuk Family

We spent Christmas in a beautiful setting, Skeleton Lake at Grandpa Ed's cabin.  It was a white Christmas, stunning because we watched the snow falling for most of the weekend oh so beautiful!!!!!  When we arrived Grandpa surprised everyone with a side-by-side that has four seats, with seat belts.....yeah it can fit our whole family. We are literally able to pull out of the garage and hit the trails, drive down onto the lake or cruise along the road. So fun! The temperature while chilly was so doable which allowed for lots of outside riding and playing.  On Christmas Eve we were out for a spin on the frozen lake and the ice was just the coolest!  It was a blast!!!

For the last few years I have managed to find little foam nativities that the girls and I can build on Christmas Eve, this year's was super cool because with a light behind this nativity it looked like it had stained glass.  It is pretty special getting to be together with those we love the most.  Found matching pj's because super cool right?! Even found a little sweater for Radio so he matched too!

Sprinkling the reindeer food before bed, setting out a snack for Santa and then reading from Luke.

 
 Lots of smiles from Grandpa Ed.

Christmas morning is always full of excitement and the smiles are priceless! Santa managed to find us even at the lake.  We could call this 'the year of the panda' as Stella's morning photo will attest.

 

 Such a great time together!  After gift opening, breakfast and getting the turkey in the oven we all ventured back outside. Oh but in the morning we tried a new breakfast recipe, PULT a swedish potatoe dumpling that Ed's mother use to make.  It turned out good for our first try and Ed was so pleased!  But most of the day was either spent outside or eating hahaha.





 

Yeah for family togetherness, traditions new/old and enjoying the beautiful world we live in! A picturesque Christmas at the lake.

~ Mrs. P

CHRISTMAS nativity

Fuzzy family selfie after we get to watch the beautiful nativity program put on at the Spruce Grove Chapel!! I look forward to the special spirit it brings.  I can't help but think about what it was really like in Bethlehem the night Jesus was born?  What was it like for Mary?  Could you imagine the shepherds in the fields with their sheep?  There are so many beautiful moments in their presentation of the nativity.

 The animals are always a hit but this year because the weather, although snowing was milder then years past some of the actors stuck around in between the shows.  The girls were able to go right up into the stable and sit with Mary, super cool!

My Hudkins Grandparents, Hinko Grandma and my parents (who were still down from Fort McMurray) were able to join us.  Only got a picture of my Hudkins Grandparents BUT it was quite special to be able to all sit in a row with our family watching. 

~ Mrs. P

CHRISTMAS at the farm

With only five days until Christmas Eve and our Hinko family still in town, add some gorgeous weather and we decided to keep all of the kids home from school and headed out to the farm for some tobogganing!!!  By tobogganing I mean being pulled behind the quad ahahahaha

 It was a seriously lovely time and the untouched fields were stunning. Smiles were on everyone faces!!! The littles took turns driving and the toboggan was a little like musical chairs in a good way, every kind of combination of littles and Aunties and Uncles.

The horses were right up against the fence, lots of love there.  Of course with the weather so great our little angels made some snow angels.   I just love days like today where most of my favourite people are around and we get to be together.

Such a great day!

~ Momma P

CHRISTMAS with the Hinkos - Part II

 We often do an appetizer night with our family and this year we opened gifts and watched Christmas Vacation once the kids went to bed.  As you can see mom and Stella were needing an early bedtime.

 When I made up baking shirts for us girls I also had to make the 'bearded and jolly' shirt for my dad because it was just so stinkin hilarious!!!!  And can I just say that my sisters and I are sooooooo classy and cool!

Gotta love a guy who will get festive with you!  My guy, he is a gem, sure love him.  These folks below (just missing a few), luckily my selfie stick can capture us all.  Incredibly blessed!

~ Mrs. P