pink ballerina

 Stella Bella our ballerina waited her turn to dance on the big stage all last year as she watched her big sister.  It is so great to watch your children find joy, show growth and succeed. We were so proud of her!!!

 Nothing beats having a little fan club to cheer you on and show support!  Pretty special to have Gramma, Grandpa Hinko, Uncle Mikel and Grandpa Ed.  Her smile says it all!!!

~ Momma P

CHRISTMAS with the Hinkos - part I

We love to host and have decided in recent years to have an early dinner with some of our larger extended family on the Hinko side. Our Hudkins side gets together for reunions or BBQs often so we try to do something around Christmas for some of the Hinkos, it is always so lovely to gather together. I love the hosting and decorating part but am VERY thankful that my mom was around to help with the turkey!

This year the napkin rings were 'name that Christmas tune' or 'fill in the blank Christmas lyric'  and I found great plaid napkins.  We used yarn balls n ornaments and red painted twigs for the center pieces, coupled with the beautiful bouquet my dad bought me.....I just enjoy those little details so much!

There were plenty of cute moments I just wish I could have captured them all.  But the adults and the littles together, those sweet interactions of generations are just so great.

 

 The turkey turned out pretty yummy and the big spread of food always makes me happy.  Seeing it all come together and feeding those I love, so dig it!

My sidekick Mr. P is top notch!  He really is the muscle of this operation and boy do I appreciate and love him.  His support of my crazy ideas and willingness to lift bins, go pick up tables and chairs....he is a gem! He doesn't complain or get grumpy, goodness I am the one who sometimes gets grumpy when the to do list seems long and the time is getting short.  He is just a perfect partner for me as he helps to calmly steer through life with me.  LOVE HIM! I could hang out under mistletoe with this guy all day long ;)

A cherished tradition is acting out the nativity and goodness it never disappointments. Our girls LOVE this tradition and talk about who will get to play Mary perhaps even before December starts.  Gramma and Grandpa had written up a script we read which is a mix of scripture, songs and narration. We talked about how next year we can probably do straight up scripture, our kiddos are growing up.

Our little crew, my favourites!

~ Mrs. P

the glow

The tree glows 24/7 at our house.  

Our fireplace hearth holds a basket of books on one side, a basket of nativities on the other.  Playing or reading in 'the glow' is darn awesome. After I pick up Stella from her morning kindergarten we have the afternoon before big sister gets home.  Often I will get asked "how much longer?" but this girl is also really good at playing on her own while I get things done around the house. I just was so in love with the little things she had pulled out to play with in the living room, she is an absolute darling and I LOVE spending afternoons with her.

~ Momma P

the Nutcracker Ballet

It has become a bit of a tradition to take the big girls to the Nutcracker before Christmas.  The music is enchanting and the visual is breathtaking!!!  This year we were able to stay local as the Victoria Ballet came to the SHELL Theatre performing the Nutcraker.  It was lovely!!!  They didn't have a matinee (which we have always done) so we attended the evening show and the girls did quite well, worth staying up late for. 

~ Mrs. P

kinder concert

 Our kinder kid had her Christmas Concert tonight and the adorableness was off the charts!!!!!!  The school has four classes total with mornings, afternoons and two teachers. Stella was very lucky to score Mrs. Haywood (same teacher as Amelia formerly Miss Russell, same classroom) so the transition to school has been fairly easy for our little miss.  She sang beautifully as the four classes sang together and I couldn't help getting a touch choked up when I asked for a sisters picture after the concert.....these two little women are ours, these silly, beautiful little ladies have one another and we have them!! Merry Christmas to us, we've been tremendously blessed.  Life isn't perfect and things are still hard at times but we are so blessed.

Silly sisters and a teacher they both love!

 

A family all in plaid, yes I planned that!

~ Mrs. P

Gingerbread House with my our Kinder Kid

I'll say it again, I LOVE BEING AT SCHOOL with our girls!!!

Motherhood is seriously the best.  I think sometimes about our years of waiting, trying, the heart ache and how now the little experiences I get to have with our precious women they make that hard stuff all worth it.  I remember the hurt but it is almost all washed away and has been replaced with joy, joy in them, being their mother.  Ok, now that my sappyness is out.  Isn't this little gingerbread engineer so darn cute?!  She loaded that little house up with candy and she made fantastic candy patterns were she could, she was a woman with a plan of covering that gingerbread house and she did it! My little table was full of darlings and we had fun discussing the upcoming holiday. Such a blast being at school. Love it there!

~ Momma P

Holdiay Train

 Sometimes it is worth it to brave the cold and get out there!  The HOLIDAY RAIN travels across Canada spreading holiday magic.  Canadian Pacific Railroad has different locations where the train pulls in all lit up, stops and the side of a car opens up, a performance ensues, they collect for the local food bank and basically brings holiday cheer, ours stopped in Josephburg. The evening was crazy cold but gosh was it worth it.  SO MAGICAL!!!!!

We drove home through the country and it was the coolest thing because the Holiday Train crossed our road home three times!!!! It was incredible to watch the train traveling across the dark snowy landscape all lit up.  Insanely cool!  Both literally and figuratively!!

~ Mrs. P