YIKES!!!!

sorry for being such a bad bad blogger the last couple weeks...

i can't believe how FAST the holidays have whizzed by and it's jan.5 tomorrow already.

the kids go back to school after their nice, long 2 weeks off school.

no doubt that tyler especially does NOT want to go back...he'd rather stay home and play with all his new toys from Christmas!

getting ready for Christmas is always such a panic...all the cooking preparations, baking and present buying / wrapping...trying hard not to miss anyone!

thank goodness i had two fantastic little helpers with the baking this year!

( i made buttertarts for my first time this Christmas too...yum! )

courtney and i made these pink peppermint cupcakes topped with crushed candy canes!

literally, crushed....with a hammer in a ziplock bag! hahahaha!!

good times!

...and Christmas morning was a chaotic, exciting, wonderful blurr of wrapping paper, squeals and "Awesome's" from the kids!!

...Christmas morning, before the attack of the kids...

...after all the Christmas morning fun, we showered up and got ready for my mom, my grandparents, my niece, brothers and "future sister-in-law" ( get on it curty! ) to come for dinner and more excitement!!

i LOVE this photo of my grandpa...he looks just great in it ( and really, really happy! )

on the 27th, we went out to mikes parents for another christmas visit and dinner!

we had a super visit, great nibbles and simply another great holiday visit!

mike's mom bought him this awesome TOWEL that looks like a KILT when you wrap it around!

...i think it suits him...

{ giggle }

...our friends Linda and Dan and their baby Jill ( whom I went to visit in October in Missouri ) came in to visit their families for the holidays and we were lucky to steal a day of visiting with our family! i cooked us up some asian food and we had a lovely visit...i couldn't get over how much little Jill had grown in only 2 and a half months...she even sprouted her bottom front two little chompers!!

SO CUTE!!

...courtney was quite smitten with her and was playing with her a lot...

they just left to drive back home to Missouri yesterday and i miss them already! linda and i and the 3 kids all went for some shopping at st. vital centre on friday and then a visit at my grandparents for tea and shortbread...i miss them already!!!!

we had our friends over for New Year's Eve and they brought along their Wii system and brand new Guitar Hero....courtney is actually pretty dang good at it! i was impressed....i myself am quite fond of that game too....it was a fun, fun night!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

( courtney and rachel )

...our usual Boxing Day celebration takes place at my mom's house. its a fun day of lots of family, a potluck dinner, games and good times! I have always LOVED our boxing day since i can remember as a little kid when it used to be at my aunty's house...

my mom was quite sick with a bronchial virus and then topped it off with the flu on boxing day morning....so unfortunately, for the first time ever, boxing day was postponed to new years day instead!!

...yep, another great day for food, family and friends...and a belated visit from Santa himself!!

mike and his mom, liz!!

#1 M-I-L!!!!

well, i wanted to catch you up to speed on our family's holiday celebrations!!

it's hard to get back into the swing of things, but tomorrow has innevitably come and whether we're ready or not, routine begins once more!!

...and how was your Chirstmas holiday??

I hope it was magical and unforgettable!

love

love

:O)