Merry Christmas!!!

Merry Christmas!!

I hope everyone has a wonderful and relaxing Christmas holidays!

It is now Christmas Eve and I am amazed at how fast the year has gone.  It was just after Christmas last year that I tentatively started my blog for the first time, not knowing what I was doing, exploring my way around Blogger, actually losing my first post because I had no clue what I was doing, and here I am a year later, excitedly looking forward to the New Year.

I love Christmas Eve because it is so relaxing in our house.  I don't have any relatives where I live, so we spend the time together, and have a tradition of going to the same restaurant for dinner (which we have now done for three years in a row).  I look forward to it because I don't have to cook anything today.  We come home relaxed (and full) from dinner, watch a movie (The Santa Clause) and have a nice evening together.  Thankfully, the presents are all wrapped (due to a late night session the other night), so hubby and I can relax in front of the fire once the kiddies go to bed.

Christmas Day however, is another story.  We get up early, open presents, have breakfast, and then pack the car where we head to first one grandparent's house, and then another's to open presents and spend some time together.  It usually takes us between 1 1/2 hours - 2 hours to get there so we spend a few days visiting.  This year it's dinner at my parents house and I can't wait to see my nine-month-old nephew again; he's so adorable.

Boxing Day is one of my favourites as we have a big bash at one of our friend's houses.  This is a yearly tradition and it's so much fun!  A whole bunch of us get together and play road hockey, eat, drink, eat, drink, open presents, eat, drink....and so on.   We've been friends for years, but with marriage and kids and moving to different cities, we don't get to visit as often so it's great to get together and we have a blast!  The kiddies are getting old enough (well, most of them anyways) to play hockey too, and it's nice to see them involved.   I'm especially excited as I'm fully recovered from my ACL surgery and I get to play this year.  Yippee!!!

And the few days after that, it's SHOPPING time!!!!

I also want to say, Happy 80th Birthday to my father-in-law!! 

Joyeux Noel tout le monde and Bonne Nouvelle Annee!!!