The Christmas Market Tradition

I kind of got hooked on Christmas Markets in Swift Current when I went with my dear friends, Lynne and Casey.  I was amazed at the many booths of food, crafts, pictures and everything Christmasy.  The next year I went twice...first with Lynne and Casey and then with my wonderful work (and tea) buddies Catherine and Corinne.

And then we moved north!  No Christmas Markets there.

When we moved to Alberta, I got the fever again and I wanted to pass it on.  I googled Christmas Markets in our area and found that Spruce Meadows is the best place to go.  I went and enjoyed it thoroughly.

The next year, I made it a weekend!  

This year, I repeated our tradition.  Brianne and I drove and stayed overnight and then spent a number of hours enjoying the sights, sounds, smells and tastes of Christmas.

SIGHTS:

But the best part was spending time with these Brianne who has become so much like family.  I'm glad that she lets this old lady hang out with her!

A Busy Week Rewarded

The last few weeks have been super busy at work.  I took the lead in organizing the "Amazing Race" for the first year students.  It consisted of long hours and lots of brain stretching and finally it arrived.

The day was long and full but everything went well.  At the end of the day we were all tired and I was thrilled to now have a few days off.

Ron and I drove west and saw the beautiful mountains.

We took a break in Banff and enjoyed a stop in Banff to have some fancy hot drinks.

After a nice break we headed towards Lake Louise to cross country ski towards Moraine Lake.  The weather was beautiful and it was nice to have snow so early in the season to be able to be out on the trails.

And the best thing about the day was that we got to be out together.

We went about 5 km up hill and then we had to turn around.  Some of the hills were a little too much for me so I walked down a few slopes so that I wouldn't find myself over the edge.

We stopped at Lake Louise just because we were so close.  It's amazing that we can visit here so much.

 

When we got back home I got all the decorations out and made our house look like Christmas!  'Tis the season!!!

Early Christmas

What possibly can Ron and I buy for each other?  We buy what we need.  We do a lot of little day trips.  Whenever we are out, we are usually together, so how can you shop for each other?

So, after thinking about what we really wanted we decided it was to spend some time with our grandchildren.

So how do we do it?  Thankfully WestJet had an amazing seat sale and so we booked flights to go to Ontario.  Now, what shall we do with these mugs?

Yup, we are going to take 3 out of 5 to the Falls for a few days and then Jenn and Joe will meet us there so that we can have some fun with them and the youngest two,

We probably won’t dress up this nice though!

A Full Weekend

Ron and I had a full weekend.  We started off on Thursday by going to Spruce Meadows to watch some horse jumping.

I have been so enjoying these tournaments.  The horses are so magnificent and watching them jump over the fences is so exciting. We spent the next few days at our son's. 

On Friday, we got our truck bed sprayed and a new cover put on and Ron and I walked for an hour and a half.  I won the bragging rights for the games.

On Saturday, we planned and cooked a big dinner.  Ham with all the trimmings!

Ron and the kids went swimming and I was left with the animal farm to keep me company.

On Sunday, we went to church in the morning.  As we drove away from our son's we enjoyed the beautiful views that surround the area.  We stopped in Bragg Creek for lunch.

For the afternoon we went back to Spruce Meadows.  

First, they set up the course and then the riders walk through. They count each step, measuring each jump until they need to clear the field.  Then the horses and riders come out.

After an afternoon of jumping we went out for supper and then enjoyed an evening with Michael W Smith.

We enjoyed the full weekend!  Now I'm trying to recover.

Happy Thanksgiving!

It's Thanksgiving but I think every day should be a day to be thankful! 

It's a choice and it's not always easy.

I'm thankful today for the wonderful dinner we had last night with family and friends.

I wish the whole family could have been together but I am thankful for friends that become like family.

I'm thankful for a hard working husband who loves me.

I'm thankful for being close enough to our son so that he could come for dinner.

I'm thankful for my Alberta daughter who spoils me rotten.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Celebrations



 Last Sunday was my birthday but that wasn't the biggest event happening this weekend but I did have a special week.

On Tuesday, we went to my son's where I was surprised with a great evening out.  Our son took us out for supper and then went to the "The Sound of Music" musical.  It was amazing.

On Wednesday, we went to the wedding that we have been waiting for for a year to happen.  Our Alberta kids were getting married.  The setting was beautiful and the day was amazing.

Andrew looked excited and nervous as he waited for his beautiful bride.

The guys were dressed from top to bottom with Andrew's choice of socks.

The bride made the long walk up the hill with her parents while the groom waited, wiping his eyes in anticipation of the beautiful vision that would appear before him.

Andrew quickly took the hand of his new bride as the parents gave away their daughter to this handsome Mountie in the mountains.

The vows were very touching and sincere and brought tears to most eyes of those that had gathered to witness this marriage.

As the final "I do" was said and the pronouncement of husband and wife, the happy couple pranced past the guests with excitement.

With a beautiful bride, a handsome Mountie and the spectacular backdrop of the mountains there were an abundance of pictures being taken.  I was so excited for these two that I have grown to love over the past two years.

Of course, it is always special to get dressed up and hang out this guy.

The reception was wonderful.  Everything was great....the happy moments, the great speeches, the wonderful mean and especially the great couple that we were celebrating with.

 Ron had the privilege of asking the blessing for the meal.

New beginnings, making memories....Mr. & Mrs!