Merry Christmas

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Merry Christmas and happy holidays everyone!  

I love the Christmas season - the lights, the decorations, the generally happy vibes, the friends and family get-togethers, the turkey dinner and the baking.  I recognize that many people struggle at this time of year for a variety of reasons and my thoughts are with them. I hope that everyone can find at least a little peace or happiness this Christmas.

My favourite memory so far this holiday season is when I got to witness the absolute joy on little kids' faces during the annual tree lighting ceremony downtown.  Kids perched on their parents' shoulders had the most beautiful smiles when Santa came onto the stage and again when the giant tree was lit.  Their faces lit up like the tree itself and I wish I had had my camera with me.  

I'm going to get right to the photos...

The annual sugar cookie extravaganza.

Levi and our friend Will have been getting together to decorate the sugar cookies for many years but we ran into a snag when Levi was diagnosed with Celiac Disease.  Thanks to my good friend (and professional-quality cookie maker) Kathy, I now have a gluten-free flour recipe that is Levi-approved.  This is Levi's masterpiece this year.  It will be the last one he eats.

Lights in Niagara Falls

My friend Donna and I made a quick trip to see the lights and didn't bother to bring cameras and tripods, thinking there would be too many people to enjoy the photography.  Well, it was not very busy at all so we went back the next night (which turned out to be much busier).  After some extreme frustration with my camera, Donna solved that glitch and we spent a couple of hours shooting the lights.  This building and the next few photos are from that night.




I'm not sure who chooses all the decorations but they have a different idea of Christmas animals than I do.  Moose and a narwhal?  There were also elephants, geese, horses and I forget what else.

Here are a few of the decorations I have used to festive-up the house.





Here's a decoration I fell in love with at Donna's.



I wish candy canes weren't so seasonal.  I usually buy a largish quantity of crushed candy cane from Bulk Barn to top muffins and flavour hot chocolate and hope it lasts me most of the year.  This year I did well, running out only a few weeks before it became available again.




Have a fantastic holiday season!





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