Our Last Day Together ...

December 28, 2016

It was a beautiful morning ... the sun was shining ... and it warmed up a bit ...

This was our last day for the family to be together ...

Craig ... James and Ella were going to visit their other grandparents ...

and Rob and Cindy were flying back to Vancouver Island this evening ....

Sooooo... some play time was in order ...

Cindy wanted to try out the snowshoes ... we hiked around the field ...

while Nathan was pulling the kids on the tube with the snowmobile ...

 

 

The kids were having so much fun ...

it didn't matter that they were getting bombarded with snow ...

All you could hear was their screams and laughter ...

 

Ella opted to go for rides on the GT ...

with grandpa pulling her with the quad ...

Finally once Nathan stopped ... and the boys got all the snow cleared out of their gear ...

They gathered together to get a family picture ...

More pictures of all of us together ... enjoying this beautiful day ... playing in the snow ...

Nathan was all packed and ready to head out ...

and another group picture was taken ...

Rob and Cindy were busy for the rest of the afternoon ...

getting packed up to leave this evening ...

 

We decided to go into town for dinner ... picking up Oma ...

to join us for her last visit with Rob and Cindy ...

before driving to the airport ...

One last group picture was taken for this year ...

We had a great time with our dear friends ...

 

 

Off To The Movies ...

December 27, 2016

We had a lot of things to do today ... first order of duty was to have breakfast ...

then clean up the kitchen ... so grateful the kids were willing to help out ...

We were going to head into town ... for the 12:00 matinee ... to see the 3D movie "Sing" ...

(I really wanted to see this movie ... !!!)

We arrived at the movie theatre ... bought out treats of popcorn and drinks ...

proceeded to get our glasses and find our seats ...

all ready for the movie to begin ...

It was an awesome movie ... we all loved it ... !!!

After the movie ... we went to visit Oma ...

this was going to be the last time Oma would see ...

Rob ... Cindy and the grandchildren this year ...

Ella was delighted to have received a little black vest that belonged to Oma ...

hard to believe that she fits into her clothes and shoes ...

Look out Oma ... she will be raiding you closet now ... !!!

The hue glasses and heart are a lovely touch to her outfit ...

 

 

We were back in time to have dinner ... then head outside to go GT'ing and sledding ...

before it was too dark and cold to play outside ...

 

Craig wanted to go to the shop to work on the VW with grandpa ...

with being so busy thru the holidays ...

he was bound and determined to get at least a few hours of shop time ...

He was loving every minute of it ... !!!

 

It's wonderful seeing the two of them working together ...

 

The rest of us were in the house ... playing games ... watching TV ...

and relaxing after our busy day ...

I also had the privilege of having Miss Ella ... give me a few new hairdos ...

she loves to braid long hair ...

and ... I must say she is really good at it ... !!!

 

Christmas Day ...

December 25, 2016

After all the gifts were opened ... it was time to start making breakfast ...

the kids were busy building with their mini lego sets ... 

Then Craig sat with grandpa for a bit ... checking out the R/C car ...

Ella helped prepare the fruit plate and set the table ...

I was busy cooking bacon and making waffles for our Christmas breakfast ...

Breakfast dishes were cleared ... Nathan and James were taking turns ... 

in mastering flying the drone ... and taking videos with its camera ...

Rob and Cindy decided to check out their scratch lottery tickets ...

all the kids large and small were busy helping with the scratching ... and every once in a while you heard woo hoo .... !!!

Mike was still not doing well ... so Rob was going to take Mike to the hospital ... 

so that I could get our Christmas dinner prepared ...

Nathan stayed home so that he could take the kids out sledding ...

and then take some time to relax in the hot tub to ease their aches and pains ...

We spent the day playing and getting our dinner together ...

Craig ... James and Ella helped with putting up the extra table ...

 and then setting the tables for our Christmas festivities ...

Rob had called from town saying that they were going to pick up Oma and Joe ...

then were on their way home ...

I then informed our neighbours Don and Bonnie ... 

to make their way down to the house ... as they wanted to make sure that Mike was ok ...

before they came down to join us for dinner ...

Nathan had taken over carving the turkey duties ... all the other dishes were set up on the island ...

once again it would be buffet style in this household ...

We had a lovely time ... visiting with our family and friends ... 

It was a very Merry Christmas ... !!!

 

 

Christmas Morning ...

December 25, 2016

Early Christmas morning ... coffee was brewing in the kitchen ...

 while the grandchildren were waiting up in their bedroom ... 

for the sign that they could run down and see what Santa had brought them ...

They couldn't wait to check out their stockings ...

the adults (still a little sleepy) ...  were seated on the couch ... 

and excited to watch them ...  as they checked out every item that they found ...

They were also delighted to recieve Nerf guns from a special Santa ...

the war would start after all the gifts were opened ...

and I know that grandpa and daddy will be taking turns ... at taking shots ...

After the stockings were emptied ... all their little gifts were put into a box ... 

to keep everything separated ...

Nathan was the elected Santa ... wearing the official Santa hat ...

to hand out the gifts from under the tree ...

 

 

The first gifts to be opened were from Daigen ... Nixon ... Uncle Ian and Aunt Kendall ...

Craig received a model of a 55 Ford F100 Street Rod ... James received a Heli Ball which hovered above his hand ... and a small wireless speaker ...

Ella received a few Shopkins sets ... 

The grandchildren continued to open gifts and were so excited and thankful ... 

with each and everyone of them ...

Cards and money from Aunt Linda and Uncle Dave ...

as well as Aunt Cindy and Uncle Rob ...

 

 

Ella loved her new pink bathrobe and her own fuzzy blanket ... and hot pink bean bag chair ...

Craig received a Model kit with paint ... brushes ... glue for him to build his models ... and his most precious was his Remote  Control Car ...

James was  over the moon excited to receive his Drone and the Xbox NHL 2017 game ...

 

 

Daddy received lots of hugs and kisses ... 

it was wonderful to see how thankful they were for all their gifts ...

We had given Nathan a mirror for the house ...

 

Even though Mike was not feeling well ...

he would not miss watching the children open their gifts on Christmas morning ...

Mike did open his gifts ...

receiving a new quilted flannel jacket for working ...

Mike was not quite sure on what the gift I had gotten him was ...

he sure had a puzzled look ...

He received a Lund BedXtender for his truck ... 

to keep items from sliding to the from of the box or to extend the length of the box ...

when the tailgate is down ...

Santa also brought him a  new weather station for the house ...

It was a beautiful morning with our family and friends ...

 opening all of our gifts ... and sharing special moments ...

What an Evening ...

December 24, 2016

After our traditional Christmas Eve dinner ...

it was time to play some games ...

Nathan brought a new game ... "Watch Ya' Mouth" ...

Oh my goodness ... it was so much fun ... tears rolling down our cheeks from laughter ...

this game is hilarious ...!!!

You are divided into two groups ... each person was given a plastic mouthguard retractor ...

that alone broke us all up ... as we put them into our mouths ...

a few of us had trouble even putting it into their mouths ... !!!

 

One person from the team ... inserted the retractor ... set the timer ... then picked up a card ...

read it ... while the other team members guessed what the phrase was ...

If the phrase was guessed ... they could continue until the timer expired ...

The team that guessed the most phrases ... won ... !!!

 

I had taken so many pictures ... but ... with all the laughing ...

and moving ... they were too blurry to post ...

I don't think there was one person who didn't hurt from laughing so hard ...

our cheeks and bellies ...

It was quite the workout ... !!!

 

We had calmed down from playing that card game ...

now it was time to open the gifts from Oma ... and for Oma to open her gifts ...

Oma opened her gift from Craig ... James an Ella ...

beautifully ... handcrafted cards ... that touched her heart ...

Our gift to Oma ... were tickets to see a ballet ... Swan Lake ...

The great grandchildren were so excited to receive a card with cash in it ...

now they can add it to their savings ...

We continued to open gifts with Oma ...

Craig ... James ... and Ella were helping grandpa with his scratch lottery tickets ...

Love Rob and Cindy's attire for this festive evening ...

It was getting late for Oma ... it had been a busy day and she was ready to go home ...

(I think maybe part of the gaming exercise wore her out ... ha ha ...!!!)

Thank you Oma for spending this day and evening with us ...

 

While Mike and Rob drove Oma home ...

Nathan started to make the traditional "Knight Family Fudge" ...

which only is made by the boys and men in the family ...

Mike and Rob made it home ... just in time to witness the beating of the fudge ...

getting it to the right consistency ... just before it starts to harden ...

working quickly to get it scraped out of the pot ...

into a buttered baking dish ... smoothing it out to let is set ...

We cleaned up ... by scraping out the remnants and licking the beaters ...

mmmmm ... so creamy ... !!!

It was later cut into little squares ... divided up and placed into airtight containers ...

Some to be eaten now over Christmas ...and the rest for Nathan to take home ...

"Twas the night before Christmas ... when all thru the house ...

not a creature was stirring ... not even a mouse ...

The children were nestled all snug in their beds ... " NOT quite yet ...

they were taking their time ...

a plate of cookies ... carrots ... a glass of eggnog ... oh yes and a beer ...

were put out for Santa and his reindeer ... (Nathan thought Santa might like a change ... )

then they made their way upstairs ... to head to bed ...

they were so excited for Christmas morning ...

Once the children were in bed ...

we enjoyed a quiet evening ... visiting and preparing for the next days activities ...

 

 

 

Christmas Eve Dinner ...

December 24, 2016

Arriving back at the house ...

it was time to start making our traditional Christmas Eve dinner ...

Oma was in charge of the warm potatoe salad ...

Craig was peeling the cooked potatoes for Oma ... and I sliced up the onions ...

Once the salad was made ... the sauerkraut was prepared and heated ...

and the pot of water was boiling for the European Weiners to be cooked ...

I think everyone was ready for dinner ... we gathered in the kitchen for a quick picture ...

before we lined up for our dinner ...

 

We were ready for a Buffet style dinner ...

the fixings of European Mustard ... Horseradish ... butter ... Ketchup (for the grandchildren) ...

a plate of fresh bread and buns ... some fresh vegetables ...

The European Weiners were cooked and kept warm on the stove ...

It was time to give thanks for our meal ...

and be grateful for all those that were able to join us for this occasion ...

 

It was wonderful to see and hear the family ...

around the island ...

The grandchildren decided to sit at the island ...

while the rest of us had our meal at the table ... that only lasted a few minutes though ...

the grandchildren brought their stools to the main table to join us ...

Family all together ... part of it anyway ...

we're missing Ian and his family ...

and I know they are having the traditional Christmas Eve dinner in Texas ...

It's heart warming that this tradition will carry on ...

for many years ...

 

 

Morning on Christmas Eve Day ...

December 24, 2016

The kids couldn't wait to get outside ...

we had a hearty breakfast and then they were out the door around 10:30 am ...

The three of them had a blast jumping in the deep snow ...

they also shovelled the deck and piled up the snow ... making a bigger hill ...

and also burying Ella ...

Finally Grandpa and dad made it outside ...

they kids were raring to go sledding on their GT Racers ...

Nathan fired up all the snowmobiles ... even his brothers sled ...

(Ian ... now residing in Texas ... wanted it to be started)

taking them all for a quick ride ...

Making sure they were in good form for riding ...

Craig ended up driving grandpa's sled ... and Nathan took Ian's ...

When grandpa was finished take the kids on their rides ...

Mike took my snowmobile for a ride ...

 

Cindy & Rob loved being in the snow ...

it has been years since they experienced a winter in the Kootenays ...

We were surprised when Cindy wanted to drive the snowmobile ...

she did take it easy ... only going around the driveway loop ...

Cindy was delighted driving it ...

She was not ready to go out into the field ...

 

Everyone came into the house to have lunch ...

as you can see ... Nathan and the kids really helped out ...

Poor Nathan only wanted to stretch out on the floor ... he should know better ...!!!

It was wonderful to see them all have so much fun ...

Mike and Rob went into town to pick up Oma ...

and bring her out ...

to celebrate Christmas Eve ...

 

Nathan and I met Mike at the highway ...

and Oma transferred into the truck ...

as we were not sure how much snow we would encounter ...

travelling to the cemetery ...

Oma wanted to place a candle on the grave site ... of Susie and dad ...

shedding light for Christmas Eve ...

and throughout the season ...

Nathan also helped locate and clear the snow ...

of Margret and Gus Haase grave site ...

They were dear friends of Oma and Opa ...

In remembrance of them ... candles were also placed ...

Sending them love & light ...

for eternity ...

 

 

Holidays Begin ...

 

December 21, 2016

Love how the lights glisten in the quiet of the evening ...

Waking up to a beautiful sunrise early in the morning ...

watching as the day begins ...

Gazing out the window ... seeing a herd of elk ... foraging in the field ...

It just doesn't get any better than this ... how blessed we are ... !!!

 

December 22 & 23, 2016

We spent the afternoon in town ...

getting some the last minute shopping finished ...

before heading to the airport ... to pick up Rob & Cindy ...

They were spending Christmas with our family ...

We had a quiet evening ... relaxing ... watching a football game ...

As of tomorrow ... the quietness ends ...

Nathan and his family arrived around dinner time the next day ...

It took them a little longer to get here ... as it had been snowing ...

and there was a lot of traffic on the roads ...

We had a great time visiting ... playing cards ... and just chilling out ...

and wondering how much snow would be on the ground ... for all of us to play in ...

the next day ...

Craig ... James and Ella were so excited ... !!!

(so was grandma .... !!!)

 

 

 

Christmas in Mayook ...

December 18, 2016

A beautiful evening with family and friends ...

celebrating an old fashioned country Christmas in Mayook ...

Thank you to Van ... for playing his guitar ...

accompanying us in our song of Christmas Carols ...

It is always heart warming to see the children come forward ...

and sing their favourites songs ...

 

Santa had heard the children singing ... "Here Comes Santa Claus" ...

and made his way into the School House ...

bringing gifts ... mandarins and candy canes for each and every child ...

and a few adults as well ...

The hall is a buzz with excitement of the children ...

After Santa had delivered the presents ... we continued to sing and visit with our friends ...

and of course indulging in all the wonderful assortment of appetizers ... Christmas baking ...

and hot and cold refreshments ...

 

It was time to sing the "Twelve Days of Christmas" ...

a delight for everyone ...

the room was divided up into groups ... each of them taking one of the days ...

It was a challenge to get everyone singing the right verse ... when it was their turn ...

I usually end up helping out with cueing the groups ...

and it seems that the group that sings "Five Gold Rings" ...

always drag it out and act up ...

This time Allan and Don ... with their operatic voices ...

were in competition on who could hold the note the longest before continuing on ...

We had so much fun with it ...

The evenings last song to be sung ... is always "Silent Night ...

The lights were dimmed ...

then Van called on everyone to be silent ...

before we began ...

It is the most angelic atmosphere ... with all the voices singing ...

This is the beginning of the Christmas season for most of us ...

in this community ... and what a beautiful way for it to begin ...

We continued to visit for a few more hours ...

cleaned up the hall ...

and wished everyone a very Merry Christmas ...

 

 

New Lights for School House ...

December 16, 2016

Our neighbours had contacted us ... saying that they had some antique light shades given to him ...

and wondered if the Mayook Community wanted them for the School House ...

Mike and Chris had made adjustments to the shades ...

adding chains and hooks to be hung from the fixtures ...

December 17, 2016

Mike and Chris went down to the Schoolhouse ... to install the new shades ...

new plates for the fixtures were added ...

for the chains to be hooked on ...

All this was completed before the Mayook Christmas party ...

 

Thank you to Michelle and Chris ... for donating the light shades ...

and to Mike and Chris for installing them ...

What a difference they made to the lighting ...

of the old School House ...