Friday

A little baking, some quick sewing and another Christmas over.  Over the past three days we have enjoyed lazy days and good food with family and friends. 

A new year around the corner.  I am not second guessing what this coming year will hold.  A verse that has been my go-to verse for the past few weeks:

Yet God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God’s work from beginning to end. Ecclesiastes 3: 11

So for me this means stop trying to work everything out in my head.  Just trust Him and see where He takes me.

Sunday

Very cute.  Audrey has been watching this again and again. :)

Wednesday

In our rush for school this morning I forgot to get a photo of end of year gifts for Nicholas and Audrey's teachers.  Small things that make my heart glad - candles, a lip gloss, something sweet, and for Nicholas' teacher a small gift from kikki k also.  The fun really is in the giving.

Audrey has been wanting to make "star biscuits" for weeks - ginger biscuits cut in star shapes with icing and sprinkles on top.  Today's note in the advent calendar read: "make Christmas cookies" so this afternoon we will be busy mixing, rolling, cutting and baking.  We are getting a few things done this year, despite my lack of motivation. 

 

Next on the Christmas to do list is Christmas sacks...Right now I am burning the last couple of drops of this Crabtree & Evelyn oil. I have been using it each year since David and I were living in our unit. While the scent of the oil with cranberry, orange, persimmon, cinnamon and star anise together with this Loreena Mckennitt cd certainly feel festive, I feel I should be in a woodlands cabin somewhere, surrounded by snow.

 Oh, and we have started reaping from what we have sown!

Sunday

Tis the season for joy, angels and shepherds!  At school and at church.  :)

 

 

Audrey Ballerina

Wednesday

In no particular order, and with no promises made, here is the preparation for my reading over the coming year.  Let's face it, I am not one to shy away from picking something else up instead!

Tuesday

The season is truly here.  Although a little late this year, the tree is up.  The kids, as always were excited to decorate.  Then we had pad Thai for dinner.  :)

A colleague bought me new decorations from Nepal and we have hung old ones and home made ones.

I am finding events this year to be busier than usual.  We have school concerts, parties and end of year activities.  There are the extra ones thrown in, such as ballet and Joeys. 

The ballet concert last week was very cute, of course.  Very amateur, but fun.  Audrey looked gorgeous from where I could see her, aiting in the curtains to come onto stage, clapping her hands and jumping excitedly.  When her class did come on, she stood in the middle of the row as he girls began to tap and she waved madly to the audiece, before looking about her and then quickly catching up to her steps.  By the time she came out for her second dance she was a little more composed and I was thrilled t see she knew her steps, if at times a little late.  :)

We bought some of the professional photographs of Audrey, copies of which I'll post here next week.  I was thrilled with them - some how the photographer got her to smile sweetly, rather than her awkward half smile she usually does.

Onto other Chrsitmas preparations, my fruit mince is made and is being stirred once each day until we make up the pastry for the tarts next week.

Last night David and I went out for dinner and to see a move.  December and I think it is maybe the third time we have managed a night out on our own??  We had a yummy meal of dips, bread and pork belly, followed by duck risotto and a prawn pasta.  We saw The Intouchables, which is a lovely French film, based on a true story.  It was a nice night together.  :)

Today I am baking banana bread, mini chocolate muffins and chocolate chip biscuits.  Everyone has been going to work/school without treats for a week now, and Nicholas has a friend coming over after school today so I desperately need to stock up on the sorts of things you can open the cupboard and pull out whenever the urge is there!

Friday

Today I had my office Christmas Party.  It was fun - as much as they are.  A nice menu, colleagues enjoying themselves.  Then I left to come home.  On the way I stopped to buy Nicholas a stationery caddy for his new desk.  On Thursday and Friday night David brought home Nicholas' furniture and put it together.  Nicholas was SO excited.  It was really sweet to see him putting paper and pencils on his desk (hence the need for somewhere to keep it all).  One lucky boy.  And one very gifted dad! :)

Today is also the day this boy went missing, nine years ago, and now the day his parents were finally able to put his remains to rest.  I cannot imagine the anguish they must be feeling, or have felt over the years. When watching the news report of his memorial service, this song was played.  A beautiful song I have always loved, from Les Miserables.  I think I also sang it when taking singing lessons years ago.  I seemed to have sung a lot of Andrew Lloyd Weber then!

My singing teacher tragically died from a fall down the stairs of his home.  I took my lessons there, across the road from The Lodge.  Anyway, not long ago I said I couldn't wait for the movie Les Miserables.  I think I'll be in tears the whole time watching it!  This gives me goosbumps and brings tears to my eyes.



I've lots to blog about here - home, Christmas, craft, faith... but feel a bit overwhelmed with it all at the moment....