Christmas Fun

As I'm sure it has for most of you, it has been a busy week in the Franklin house!  After a week of very chilly temperatures - I think down to about -37 with the windchill - the weather finally decided to warm up last weekend, and so we decided we'd better take advantage of it!  So, last Friday evening, we headed out to Airdrie to go to the Festival of Lights. We enjoyed looking at the light displays, riding the little train, and drinking warm chocolate. (It wasn't quite hot!)  Cole enjoyed running through the snow!  We also enjoyed visiting with our friends Scott and Gina and their kids.  On Saturday, we joined my parents and niece and nephew at Heritage Park for their Christmas Past celebration.  We didn't have too long there, but had time to take a ride in a horse drawn carriage and explore the park a little bit.  We will have to go back in the summer, as Jeff has never been there before.  Cole enjoyed climbing the snowdrifts while we waited in line for the carriage ride.  Although I could happily go without snow, it is fun to watch Cole enjoy it. 

At the Festival of Lights

Heritage Park

We spent the next few days baking, doing last minute shopping, and cleaning in preparation for Christmas, and Jeff's birthday, which is Christmas Eve.  I made three pans of fudge this year, and they all turned out perfect, which I am pretty darn proud of!  My arm hurt for a couple of days afterwards from all that beating!
Since Jeff had the day off on his birthday this year, I decided to throw him a brunch party rather than trying to get people down here in the evening on Christmas Eve - something we're often not that successful with.
We made crepes and ham and eggs and had about 20 people here for brunch.  Not a bad turnout!  We had a great time visiting with family and friends, some of whom we don't get to see as often as we'd like.  After that, it was off to the Christmas Eve service at church.  Then we went to deliver some of that home-made fudge to our neighbors, then home to get the boys to bed and wrap their Christmas presents.  Nothing like leaving that to the last minute!  They couldn't go under the tree until then anyways though, because we have a very curious toddler who thinks brightly colored paper is an invitation for him to start tearing away!

Jeff's birthday party

I've tried to start a few traditions as a family.  Our boys both got new pyjamas on Christmas Eve, to wear that night.  Zach's First Christmas PJ's came from his Grandma and Grandpa Hansen.  The boys also got Christmas books from them, which we read at bedtime.  I think that's another tradition I'm going to start, as we want to make sure our boys know what Christmas is really all about.  Christmas morning was delightful, watching Cole's excitement as he opened his stocking and his presents.  We had a quiet Christmas morning, with just our family here.  Jeff's parents joined us on Skype, to watch the boys open their presents, since they can't be here in person. Then in the afternoon, we headed over to my sister's house for dinner with my family.  We had a wonderful dinner and the boys got spoiled by their grandparents and aunties and uncles.  Cole had a great time playing with his cousins, and Zach enjoyed the attention as well.  We missed my brother and his wife, but got to talk to them on the phone.  Cole is enjoying playing with all his new toys, and is playing with his Little People racetrack with his dad as I type.  Zach will love his in a few months!  I am enjoying my Christmas present as well, which I got a month early, a new Canon DSLR camera. 
All in all, we had a wonderful Christmas!  After spending several years without my family here at Christmas, while they were in Africa and I was here, I treasure each Christmas we get to spend together all the more.  And now that I have children of my own, and they have cousins to play with, it is even more special to be able to be together at Christmas time.  The only shadow is that Jeff's family is not able to be with us too.  But one of these years, we will head down there for Christmas. 

Christmas morning