Ready for Christmas

Busy Weekend!

Last week was spent getting things ready for a houseful of guests visiting for the Christmas parade Friday evening. The boys were very helpful in getting tidying, cleaning and baking done without too much protest. Wednesday was such a gorgeous day we were able to get decorations for our parade float painted outside in the yard (we have a large patch of silver grass now!) and most of the rest of the bits and pieces were staged in our basement, ready to be put on the truck and trailer Friday afternoon.

Two of Adrian's sisters and their families joined us for the parade this year, along with G&K of course, C&C and their girls (who stayed overnight at house), D (who regularly helps with outreach work here), C and two of his boys (who have recently moved to Canada from England), and after the parade our friends J&B and their kids joined everyone for hot chocolate and treats.

Our float was full this year and it looked so pretty all lit up! That's one of the things we like about our town's parade - that it's held at night and all the floats are so beautifully lit! I love that when we drive by people stop to read the verses on the sides of the trailer. No doubt that we represent a Christian camp! Andrew was thrilled to walk/run alongside the float handing out candy canes with some of the adults. I rode in the truck with G&K. We had to walk from our house to where they were staging the floats and I knew I wouldn't be able to walk/run all the way back, too (ongoing health issues I'll get around to posting about sometime).

Saturday morning four families headed out to a local tree farm to cut down our Christmas trees. We had a great time! Adrian got the tree situated in the stand when we got home and that evening the kid and I decorated it. I love the smell of a real Christmas tree.

The house is mostly back in order now. We still need to put away some of the parade decorations, but that won't take long.

Sunday morning Nicholas and I went to church. I was going to take all three boys with me to give Adrian some peace and quiet to study in (he has another exam this Friday), but Matthew and Andrew have come down with colds so they stayed home. There was a Christmas lunch at the hall after services which was combined with a 90th birthday celebration for one of the men. Nicholas and his friend, J, who are the two youngest members of our church presented the cake. It was a wonderful lunch! Nicholas slept most of the way home and I had a short snooze on the couch when we got home. Early to bed last night for everyone!

Now on to a busy week!