Hello! Has everyone survived the Christmas holidays? We had a splendid one although it was a green one, lol. We didn't get snow until Tuesday and boy did it make up for not having any cause we got tons of it! And we are getting more tonight. Christmas was good, everything was much more organized than usual and the kids were for some reason much more calmer than usual...not sure why why it was really nice not to hear shouting and screaming Christmas day, lol. In fact, the kids slept in til 7:30 a.m. christmas morning and it was nice for us, and we actually got to bed earlier than usual Christmas Eve so we were able to fit in 6 and a half hours of sleep:) We had a special visitor show up Christmas Eve, boy were the kids surprised! Santa brought each of them a box of toffee chocolates and James and I a box of After Eight mints. Wasn't that sweet?? Rhys was especially surprised when he went to the door and saw Santa ho ho ho'ing at the front door. I think his eyes just about popped right out of his head, lol. Anyhow, it didn't take long for all the gifts to be unwrapped and toys to be just a buzzing. Dinner was very nice with the inlaws and went off without a hitch. Nobody was sick like in past years thank goodness! (we have had the stomach flu hit just in time for Christmas and it sucked, lol). Boxing day we went into Peterborough to visit my mom and brother Jim. It was very nice and my mom is leaving for Florida on Saturday so it was a goodbye for a few months. Tuesday afternoon, we went and visited my inlaws again where James's brother and his family were down visiting so it was another busy day. James went back to work yesterday and poor me has the kids home until the 9th of January. I love them, but there are only so many things you can do with 4 kids home day after day, lol. At least the past few day they have been outside playing in the snow and tobogganing down the hilly driveway:)

Hard to believe it's almost the weekend again and the new year is just around the corner. Grandma and grandpa are suppose to be taking the 3 youngest kids for the weekend and Noah goes to his dad's house this weekend, Alexis is working on Saturday than staying at her boyfriends home so we should have a house to ourselves other than the animals. It's been a long time coming! well, that's it for tonight folks.

Hope you all had a wonderful and blessed Chrismas with family and friends! if I don't make it back here by New Year's eve, I am wishing you all the Best in 2012!!

Hugs, Trish

I made it back before Christmas Eve! Well, I knew I wouldn't have time to post tomorrow night, so here I am :) We may just have a white Christmas afterall. last night we got a bit of snow, it wasn't suppose to stick but it was way colder and windyer than the weatherman forecasted so the snow is still here...not much but enough to give the ground a light dusting. Now it seems more like Christmas time :)
Santa is stopping by tomorrow evening before the kids go to bed. The kind grandpa of the new neighbors asked me yesterday if he could come by for visit, he dresses up as Santa for his grandchildren every year. We have never had anyone do that for us before, so it should be a treat! The kids sure will be surprised! I got ahead start on my baking tonight, a blueberry pie and a lemon pie are baked, and my cranberry sauce is made. tomorrow night I will cook the ham, the less I have to cook on Christmas day, the better! I think I will bake some scotch cookies with the kids tomorrow as well, a simple recipe, but oh so good, and something for them to snack on :) I have all my presents wrapped, not under the tree yet due to Roxy..hmm, may have to put her in her crate over night Christmas Eve, or keep her in our room, so nothing ends up under the couch since that is where her stash of random items are found destroyed, lol. Hubby has yet to wrap his presents, hope he doesn't fall asleep early as usual or he's in trouble! He does that every year, falls asleep by 9 or 10 Christmas Eve and wakes up after Santa has stopped by and delivered his goodies...do you know hard it is to do all that stuff on your own without a lookout person to warn you if someone wake up?? I think we will have game night or rent a movie for the evening and if we have time before, visit Bowmanville to see a subdivision that always amazes the public with their wonderful lit up houses. Every year at Christmas time this occurs and there is a constant line up of traffic that goes through the subdivision to view the beautiful lights and hard work these wonderful homeowners display.
Well, I think my bed is calling me, will be a busy day tomorrow etting odds and ends done, cleaning, which I have already done alot of so I am delegating the rest to the kids to do :) And last minute food to buy etc.
So I am wishing all my wonderful blogging friends a Very merry Christmas, full of wonderful memories, time spent with family and friends, good food and don't forget what the true meaning of Christmas is! From our home tou yours, safe travels wherever you may be!

Love, hugs, and blessings, Trish,James,Alexis,Noah,Rhys,Brynn and Kaedyn Boyd
xoxo

Another late post,lol

Well, I am up late once again... seems to be the norm around here, while everyone els is fast asleep, i am surfing the net. Still no major snow here, just a few patches here and there and it looks like we are going to have a green Christmas. Now, althought I hate winter, I wouldn't mind a little bit of white stuff on Christmas day...just to make it feel like Christmas! but, I am not holding my breath. Tomorrow it is suppose to rain and get up to 6 degrees. I have all my shopping done except for a few stocking stuffers and a few things for Christmas dinner. I would love to make some pies but latelt the cost of food makes buying a pie cheaper than baking one :( my wonderful mother inlaw bought us a turkey that is already stuffed, it's a butterball... I haven't had a butterball turkey in years!! While I will kind of miss making the stuffing, I won't miss trying to thaw the bird out to remove the little packages stored inside in order to stuff the bird, lol. And my mother inlaw also sent extra stuffing that she made and froze so I just have to put it in the oven. Seems to me, everyone loves stuffing around here so I also bought some boxes of stove top stuffing just to keep them satisfied ! And extra cans of gravy because we go through it like crazy. tonight was the first time that I had turned on the lights on the Christmas tree, only because of my kitten Autumn and doggy Roxy, who have yet to experience A christmas and chew everything! I haven't put ant presents under the tree because of as well. Roxy steals things and takes them under the couch to rip apart, silly puppy. The kids keep asking where the presents are and I tell them they are stored at grandmas house so nobody snoops. Little do they know, the presents are safely stored in the nice antique cedar chest that my mom passed down to me with a lock and the rest are in the livingroom stored in the jam cupboard that I got at an auction a few months ago... I knew these things would come in handy despite my hubby's dismay when I brought them home, lol. The kids do not have a clue..for once!

Tonight, we went to my childrens school Christmas concert. It was fun and so cute to see the little ones get up on stage in front of so many people and perform. And of course I got teary eyed watching my Rhys get up with his class and do the dance they performed. He had rein deer antlers attached to his helmet and was right up there dancing a storm. He was the smallest kid in his class but has the most determination :) last week, Rhys's best friend lost his Opa who lived with him, he passed away during the night and I can only imagine how devastated his family is, especially at this time of the year. Rhys took a shining to this kind man during the summer on his play dates at his friends. As usual, Rhys, ot of all my kids, showed the most compassion for his buddy during his time of need. it always amazes me how my son with a severe disability and who is far behind what a normal child of his age is, can comfort and be there for those who are sad or hurt. Bless his little soul :)

Well I should probably get off of here, I have much to do tomorrow...icky cleaning, lol. The kids are done school on Friday, the latest they have have ever gone to school before the holidays. that means they don't go back until january 9th....yikes!! We are visiting my mom on boxing day to exchange gifts and have diiner since she has decided once again to go to Florida for the winter...4 days later. Every year she swear she isn't going to go back because the weather isn't so great ans she says she might as well stay home...and every year at the last minute she changes her mind, lol. Oh well, she deserves it, she will be 80 in February and if she can escape our Canadian cold winter, all the power to her!!

Okay, I am off of here!! I will try and be back before Christmas Eve, but if I am not, I am wishing all of my wonderful blogging friends a very Merry Blessed Christmas Holiday with their family and friends!!

Thanks so very much for stopping by and making the past year a wonderful one :)

Love and hugs, Trish

It's beginning to look like winter...

Hello friends,

It's chilly here and we are covered with the dreaded white stuff. I do believe winter has finally arrived and I am gearing up to be holed up in the house for a few months. As you can tell, I am not a fan of winter. You would think that being a Canadian, I should be used to it, but I'm not young anymore, and the cold weather bothers my joints and I hate driving on messy roads. I detest having to bundle up to go out and do the chores. If I had my way, it would be white for Christmas and than all the snow can disappear! I think I am complaining to much, lol. This year I am having my son Noah help me out with bringing in the wood when he gets home from school, it's too hard on my back. He hasn't complained so far and it's giving him some responsibilty on helping with the family chores. Brynn and Kaedyn like to help him too even though it's only one piece of wood at a time that they can carry.
Our Christmas decorations are almost all up, the tree is decorated, I had to finally do it becasue it was just looking too plain. Autumn the kitty is being not so bad with it, she has oonly climbed it a handful of times since all the decorations were put on. Our outdoor lights are up, not a whole lot ( trying to save on electricity), but the snow is making them look pretty. I wish I could figure out how to load pictures on this laptop... One of these days!
So what else have I been up too? Not much, lol. I am taking it easy, or trying to :) Just getting through the daily routine is enough for me. I did try to dry out sliced oranges and apples....on top of my wood stove and they turned out great! I did however get some odd looks form hubby and the kids and got asked why I was wasting costly fruit just to dry them out...they just don't get it :( My 16 yr old daughter looked at them and said they would be neat strung up on the fireplace....could it be, she is finally understanding the way I think and what I like?? There is always hope :)
It's going going to be a busy weekend and the next 2 weeks are going to be a blur. Saturday night we are going to a charity hockey game in Peterborough between the NHL Allumini and the local Police. The kids are excited and Rhys has been talking about it for weeks now. Than there are Christmas school concerts to go to and last minute gift shopping etc. I am hoping I will get everything done on time. I hate wrapping on Christmas eve cause I get no help...hubby falls asleep on the couch and doesn't wake up until all the presents are under the tree and Santa has made his visit :P

Well, I think I have bored you all enough. I need to get to bed, morning comes to soon. Hope you all have a fabulous weekend and I will be stopping by to read your blogs. I am having problems commenting on many of them but know that I am still enjoying reading them all :)

Take care, hugs, Trish