Christmas in Photos

I couldn't help but do one more post of Christmas photos!  I love taking photos and can never find enough places and ways to share them!

Christmas And A Birthday - December 25, 2011

Our new Christmas Eve tradition, baking and decorating sugar cookies for Santa!

"I told Santa I wanted a train set . . . and he brought me one!"

"What did you get Daddy?"

After the gifts were opened, Liam played with EVERYTHING he got!!  He was a happy boy!

A Christmas Day Birthday Boy means birthday cake for Christmas dinner!

Blowing out the candles!

Showing off his goofy smile and his daycare birthday crown.

"No, I'm not tired.  I want to stay up and play, really, I'm good!"

Christmas Part 2 At Grandpa J and Grandma L's House - 

December 27, 2011

Liam and Grandpa J.  Liam sat at the table with his Great Grandparents and ate lunch like such a little man.  Made mommy very proud!

Playing air hockey with cousin Denver.

Playing air hockey with Aunty Danny.

Aunty Danny and her boys, Denver and Liam.

"More presents!!  Awesome!"

"Thanks Aunty Teanna and Denver, now I can be a rock star!!"

"Is this a reindeer?"

Hanging out with Uncle Matt.

My Christmas Tree Tells A Story . . . Does Yours?

There are a lot of ways to decorate a Christmas tree -  you can choose a theme or colour scheme, you can be organized and symmetrical or completely random.

Themes and colour schemes used to mean searching store after store to find enough matching decorations to fill a tree but now, you can just go into a store and pick of a tub of decorations in one of the years hottest Christmas colours!

If I were decorating a tree for an office or some other public place, I would probably be all over the organized, symmetrical, colour scheme trends.  But for us, at home, that's not what I'm looking for.

To many people, I am sure our tree looks mismatched and disorganized, but I think it is great with a lot of ornaments that actually mean something to us.

There are ornaments from a gift exchange that I did with my closest friend in 7th grade.

There are ornaments that my Grandma crocheted years ago, that until recently hung on her tree every year.

There ornaments that have been given to me by daycare kids over the years.

There is a bride and groom ornament that my mother in law gave us the year we got married.

There's Liam's First Christmas ornament and a ball with his name on it.

There are ornament's that Henry's had for years and years.

There's the first ornament that Liam ever made, at daycare last year.

There's a collection of Canada Post decorations that my mother in law (who works for Canada Post) has given us over the years.

There are ornaments that I made years ago.

There are lots of snowmen and snowflakes and other things that are there just because we like them.

And on top of the tree is an angel, made by my mother out of the same fabric that she used to make my wedding dress.

Sure, there are lots of generic balls and bells scattered around through out the branches.

But it is the other ornaments that tell the Christmas stories of our family.  And that will continue to tell our stories in the years to come.

(I've heard a rumour that an Elmo ornament will soon be joining our collection for our Elmo loving little man!)

McLaren Family Labour Day Weekend Corn Roast

Every year my family gets together at my grandparent's lot on the Ottawa River for a Corn Roast on the Sunday of Labour Day Weekend.  This year was no exception.  The weather wasn't as nice as we would have liked, it was cloud and a little bit on the cool side and there were even a few showers, but that didn't stop us.  We visited, boiled corn in big pots over the fire, threw hot dogs and burgers on the BBQ and ate until we couldn't eat anymore!

And as always, I took a million photos of Liam enjoying the day!

We now return to our regular scheduled ramblings . . .

Phew!  Garage Sale weekend is over and I've had a few days to recover.  New Moon Rabbit Rescue raised just over $1200 for the bunnies.  As much as I love being able to help out this wonderful organization, run by two of my dearest friends, I am so glad that it is over!  It was four long, exhausting days of hard work!

Now it is time to focus my energy into other things - BROWNIES - two more meetings and camp and then we are done for the summer.  Yee Haw!  It is another one of those things that although it is a lot of fun and very rewarding, it's nice to have a break.  HOUSE WORK - the place looks like a tornado went through it.  GARDENS - so far so good there, but soon it will be time to plant the veggie garden, then it gets busier!  And of course, WORK - I am still venturing into potty training hell every day - although yesterday, one of my boys ASKED to go to the potty and then actually PEED - is it a break through or a coincidence?  Only time will tell!

And of course above everything else is FAMILY TIME!  There never really is enough family time.  My little boy is growing up so fast, I just can't keep up with all the things he's learning and doing.  And soon (by soon, I mean should have been done last week!) we are going to have to take him for his first haircut.  It makes me sad.  But I've always said that I'm not going to be one of those moms who cries every time her baby reaches a new milestone!

So, if I disappear from blog land again in the next little it while, it is either because I have gotten lost in this disaster of the house - please send help!