Oh...What Fun!

As much as I tried to blog, it proved impossible with all of the family events and activities.  There were simply too many distractions.  Our home is quiet this morning and following a couple of hours editing so many photos, I can now write about the joy of Christmas held at our home.

Very early on Christmas morning, Mrs. Santa Clause is captured loading the toys for our visit to Ginette, Trevor, Easton and Brie's home.

Ten minutes after loading up the Christmas presents, we had coffees in hand and we're enjoying an early Christmas morning at Ginette and Trevor's home.  We shared in their Christmas, And the most fun was watching Easton and Brie open up their presents.

Easton was quick to show me the nuts and milk he had left for Santa. The goodies had been consumed!  He was so happy that Santa Claus had come by his house.  I mentioned that Santa had dropped by our home after leaving theirs and that he had left some presents too! 

What fun....

Ginette, Trevor and the kids had celebrated Christmas, on Trevor's side of the family, the evening before.  

To share in their little family gift opening was fun for us.  Deni, Courtney and Owen were celebrating Christmas at Courtney's mom's home - about 20 minutes from our home.   Later in the day, everyone would be meeting at our home for a Christmas day gift opening and dinner.

Christmas is so much fun with little grand kids involved.

Easton loves to play with his remote controlled toy train set.

Back at our home by noon, Christmas Day, Jeanette got busy with the completion of her dinner preparations.

By 3:00 pm, everyone was at our home and in the throws of sharing in the gift exchange.

To have our complete family - with grand kids - made for such a special Christmas for Jeanette and I.  We marveled at the fun we had just watching the little kids interact and enjoying the banter between the young adults.

Santa Claus did not disappoint.

Deni, Owen and Courtney were busy opening some fun toys.......

.....while Trevor and Ginette were helping Brie and Easton with some unwrapping too!

Deni, and Courtney with their new iPod

Our special gift to our adult kids was a Generation 7 iPod that was loaded with over 2700 cuts of music.  That is about 6.5 days of continuous music play.  With an extensive music library of over 35,000 cuts, I spent many hours editing and compiling a variety of music that we felt our kids and their spouses would enjoy.  They were thrilled with that Santa gift.  Shortly after we returned home, from the southern US, I booted up our desk top computer and loaded their iPods with the huge music file I had worked to create over several months.

Trevor and Ginette with their new iPod.

Much to my surprise, I got really spoiled by Jeanette and our kids who gifted me with a brand new guitar.  And a beauty it is!  I had no idea!  

Several years back, I gave Ginette my very old guitar.  Although she has a nice guitar, she really wanted my old one for posterity.  You see, that old guitar helped finance a good part of my university studies.  Having studied classical piano for 12 years (including Harmony), I played keyboards in a band for a few years and also played as a singles act (guitar) in lounges and clubs throughout the Province of Alberta, and more so in the City of Calgary, Alberta while attending university there.  In fact, when Jeanette and I met in Calgary (she, studying to become a nurse),  I took her to the club I played at on our very first date....and a few more times after that.  She also kept busy dancing with others when attending our band gigs.

Although I had contemplated a career in professional music, (fine arts piano) I was drawn to the field of film and television and.....well.....the rest is history.  I ended up completing my university studies in the US before returning to Canada and working in my chosen profession. 

It will take some practice to come up to speed - not having played for so many years - but, like riding a bicycle, my fading memory should bounce back some old favourite tunes and I could well get back to enjoying this as one of my hobbies.

Ginette brought her guitar along and we strummed a few bars.

Deni also has a guitar and he too strummed a few bars with Ginette.

While the adults enjoyed some pre-dinner chats, the grand kids found their own fun playing on the first landing on the stairs that lead up to our 2nd floor.

With far more toys in the kitchen and family room, they gravitated there.

And before long, the adults had also gravitated to the kitchen while Jeanette was busy with the final throws of putting her Christmas dinner together.

Deni got down to enjoy playing cars with the two boys, Owen and Easton

This oven housed the turkey and more.....

....while this oven housed the vegetables and tourtiere (French traditional meat pie)

Seeing his Nana busy with dinner preparations, Owen thought to join in and hand over any pots and pans he could dig out of the cabinet.  Helpful little fella.....!

We gathered around the dining room table to enjoy the fruits of Jeanette's labour.

That was an awesome meal.....

These occasions are truly special.  To be able to have our little family around the table is a gift of Christmas; all by itself.  That is the true meaning for Jeanette and me.

To have the grand kids joining us at the festive table was also one of the best gifts Jeanette and I could ever hope for.

"I ate all of my dinner, Nana!"

 Easton got a special treat from Nana......and he had to find it on the palm Christmas tree.

A very special time with our three grand kids. L-R  Easton, Owen and Brie.

Courtney, Deni and Owen spent Christmas day, night and Boxing Day at our home.  They returned to Courtney's mom's home last evening.  They will return on December 30th to spend the day and night with us before we drive them to the airport for their return flight back to Edmonton, Alberta, on December 31st.

We will see Trevor, Ginette, Easton and Brie on several occasions too before Jeanette and I return to the US southwest to continue our winter journey.

And that was our celebration this Christmas, 2014.  Oh....what fun it was!