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Well, this has been a wild Christmas! It seems so very different from the usual slow paced relaxed holidays we are used to. It has been a whirl of people coming and going, parties, dinners, and, of course, Susan in the hospital. But I’ll get to that later.

Nico has come back from school in New Brunswick. He has discovered Canada and he is in love with it: loves New Brunswick, loves Halifax, loves Quebec, and wants to stay down East. But then that is the whole purpose of travel: to make your world bigger!

And Sam is back from Victoria with more plans for school. It is wonderful to see the kids having so much fun. But the energy! It makes Susan and I tired watching them.

Our first Christmas party of the year was the annual Marr and Blair family dinner. Gandma and Grandpa started this and we have carried it on every year since. This year it was a Kate’s house. Everyone except Keiko and the girls made it and it was a good party.

The children are growing so fast it is hard to keep up!

Bob and Flynn standing in Kate’s kitchen.

Flynn and David

“Girlriend” is so beautiful!

Paige, Drew and Amy

Paul, Sarah and Laura

David and daughter Cynthia

Nora with Gordon and Sean

Sarah with her Dad

Nora with her children and, of course, Cynthia

Justin, Kiera, Amy, Drew and Paige, 

Susan with a very fashionable Paige

Drew

Now, before we leave the Blair-Marr dinner party, I was on my Facebook page and found these pictures from the Blair’s. Over Christmas we have had lots of snow as you can see here and everyone was out enjoying it. I did not take these, or several others in this post, but they are wonderful and should be preserved.

The Mary Blairs: Dave, Paige, Drew, and Mary

The Bob Blairs: Bob, Liz, Justin, Keira and Amy

On the 18th we had a Christmas dinner with Caesar, Nico and Sam. Christina and Joe were busy so it was a quiet, relatively speaking, dinner to catch up with the kids and their autumn adventures. In the following days they were off: snowshoeing with Caesar, Sun Peaks with mother skiing, and then to the cottage at Deka Lake in the BC Interior.

After dinner with Caesar, Nico and Sam

Nico in the mountains with his Dad

A Sam and Nico selfie in the car

Nico and Caesar in the mountains

A real Canadian tradition! Hockey on the lake!

This year we have had a lot of snow. I have been shovelling, Susan has had a turn, and Caesar was great, clearing the walks a couple of times! But the holidays had a problem side: Susan had an ulcer attack and ended up in the hospital three days before Christmas and did not get out till Boxing Day. That made it a bit lonely around the house but I consoled myself with a bottle of brandy (not that Susan is so easily replaced!).

Caesar helps out with the snow on our front stairs

We had been invited to Kathleen’s for dinner on Christmas day but with Susan in the hospital I had to go alone. It was a wonderful evening. Sean was away with Shiela in Cuba and Flynn was flying somewhere and Keiko and the girls were in Japan. But everyone else was there.

Kathleen preparing dinner

Why does everyone gather in the kitchen?

The meal was fabulous

Colin fighting with the bird – he’s stressed!

We even took photos in the kitchen!

Laura, Sarah and Holly getting dinner

Paul and Ann

Paul

Gord and Colin

The girls enjoying their i-Pad

Gord, Colin and Holly

Cynthia, Sarah and Laura

And this is the official party picture. From the left, David, Gordon, Ann, Sarah, Laura, Cynthia, Holly, Pat (Colin’s mom), Kate, Margot (a friend of Nora’s) and Nora. That’s me behind the camera.

And while all this Christmas joy was going on, where was my eldest son, Sean? He was in Cuba with Shiela. But don’t worry about Sean – they have Christmas there too.

Cuba is famous for its old cars. But the one on the right is a little old, even for Cuba. And right above, it seems that Sean has found the Cuban Christmas! ( these are pictures that Sean has posted on Facebook)

And that was our Christmas. Susan came home from the hospital on the 26th no worse for wear. It was good to have her home. I am pretty incompetent at running the house, much less my life, and having her home gives me purpose and direction again.

We got to see everyone. We got to eat some pretty fine food. And with Susan away I got to drink some pretty good brandy – all day long – as much as I wanted!!! And we had snow for Christmas. The hospital aside, we had a good Christmas season. 

On the left is a picture of Cynthia which she gave me for Christmas. I could not think of a better present. She is growing so fast. All of the chilren are. It does make one feel old, as if I need another reason to feel old!

Merry Christmas to everyone and all the best in the coming year. We hope your lives are full and satisfying and that you all stay safe and warm. God bless us, everyone.