fairy tale wedding

ok, let me first state that the ONLY thing I was truly hoping to accomplish at my wedding was the 'man and wife' part:

The Impressive Clergyman: So tweasure your wuv.
Prince Humperdinck: Skip to the end.
The Impressive Clergyman: Have you the wing?
[cut to the trio once more]
The Impressive Clergyman: ...and do you,Pwincess Buwwercup...
Prince Humperdinck: Man and wife. Say man and wife.
The Impressive Clergyman: Man an' wife.

the decorations were a partial gift from a cousin's wife (who is, sadly, no longer a part of the family and I loved her a lot) and were fantastic. we got married over Christmas break, because I just love Christmas and thought the huge tree, no matter how tacky, at the front of the church would be the perfect backdrop. In that I was not disappointed.

the music was lovely since my parents thought I needed the string quartet. I remember being left a cassette tape and all the available songs were recorded on it. all we had to do was choose the few my Pastor approved of. see, he had a list too. *sigh* at the time, though, quite honestly, I did not care one lick. I knew Neal and was convinced that he was THE ONE. we really hadn't known each other for long but sometimes there are things that simply resonate with every fibre of your being ... kind of like the girl who set this contest up and her fantabulous guy. you know what I mean.

so I chose pachabel's cannon for my entrance. my dad kept quietly telling me not to run down the isle. I was nervous. wish I was better at being the centre of attention but unless I am on stage, I don't like all eyes on me. then it was the 23rd Psalm for the song to be played while we stood forever at the front of the church. there were 8 verses or something equally ridiculous. I had my legs completely braced under my massive dress in some kind of half squatting stance. they were forever quivering and I needed to be sure I wasn't going down. I think I also had a death lock on Neal's arm. I swear he never moved even one inch during the whole thing, until he was allowed to kiss me. and, no, it was so not the first kiss for us but every bit as sweet as I imagined it would be. everything else was too minimal it seemed. my dad also thought I needed the limousine ride. for that, looking back, I am very thankful. one of my favourite wedding photos is inside that vehicle. I look very excited; Neal looks like he can't wait for the 'honeymoon'. I knew there was a whole cheesecake awaiting us at our new home and ALL THOSE GIFTIES! clearly on different wavelengths.

I would so do the whole thing over again if it seemed appropriate. smaller, quieter, better food (a whole other post), real drinks, real music but still live and a more confident, less nervous bride.

friday freefall

so the question was posed: what do you do to "love" winter? and the answer is not necessarily simple.
I think for me, personally, what I love about winter is what I *choose* to love about each season, otherwise I would be depressed way more often than I am! but seriously, having been born and raised in South-Western Ontario, I had better at least come to terms with old man winter 'cause he bears his head for what seems like half the year here.

winter comes pretty much on my birthday every November, which works wonderfully for me. who doesn't think it is special when the Lord sends the first flurry of flakes, seemingly, just.for.you. and it doesn't usually last anyway, then, so I am happy to get into it.
winter is also an excuse to break out all the gorgeous sweaters and socks that won't do in summer.
there is also that lovely feeling of fingers wrapped around warm mugs of tea or hot chocolate, lingering by the fireplace or simply staring out a window at the trees, cosy inside while the rest of the world bustles about.
I can't wait to decorate the house for Christmas and absolutely LOVE going to the Christmas tree farm to pick out and cut down our personal favourite tree. nothing says "hello winter" to me more than that.
then there is the cookie baking with my friend, though we couldn't do it this year seeing as how I was kind of on the other side of the world (and there wasn't a single bag of brown sugar in West New Britain Province). we have done it a couple of times anyway, and had a blast cooking together and sharing sugar. we try to put as many in the freezer as we can
but ... hello ...

next comes my anniversary, right at the time that all the stores and churches have on their best Christmas "jewelery". I guess I am a sucker for all the old movies like White Christmas and It's a Wonderful Life because I watch them every year and somehow things just seem, I dunno, better during Christmas. I try to catch whatever old shows from the 60's they run on tv, too. Rudolph, Frosty the Snowman ... you know the drill. I am a kid at heart, for sure.

after the excitement of Christmas, then comes the pleasure of s.l.o.w.i.n.g. down. I love giving myself permission to read and re-read the magazines I was given, to try that new knitting project, scrapbook some more and listen to music. I KNOW how frigid it is outside, so I bundle up IN doors and just enjoy. the boys are already programmed to understand that winter is reading time, plain and simple.
they love to play outside, having snowball fights, trying to make and maintain forts, or shovelling driveways for others.
we keep wanting to introduce them to skiing, but the last few winters have been on the mushy side ... this one looks perfect!
we got an invitation to go tobogganing this afternoon (though we cannot make it this time) which is a given for winter, no matter what.
snowshoeing is also something I tried and enjoyed as a kid, whenever we went to my aunt and uncle's cottage, up north.
and if it isn't TOO cold, there is not much more visually stimulating than taking a walk around the neighbourhood, especially when the snow is softly falling and the moon shines on the freshly fallen snow, making it sparkle like crushed diamonds.
we also like to get in the car and drive around to see what lights people have up.

the days are shorter, the nights colder, but really, this IS what it is. I cannot imagine not embracing winter, both the good and the bad (especially when there is a snow day so bad that my husband has to stay home from work. rare, but precious).
winter lasts a long time, yes, but it prepares us for the beauty of spring, when everything dead is slowly re-born. if that doesn't get you, then I just don't know what will.

tell me what YOU think ...

many moons ago, before baby one

this photo says many things ... that I need a new hairstyle, that I am almost going to have my first baby and that it STILL feels as cold out today as it did this December day, more than thirteen years ago ... spring will come, spring will come ...

The Important Book About Christmas

yesterday I decided that my kids were getting off a little too easy, especially when I consider the copious amounts of ribbing I endure at this time of year. I am not sure if bestsister even knows about this one

every year, just as soon as my birthday is over, I get out my Christmas bins (two rubbermaid beauties to be precise) and along with my ornaments, I pull out my treasury of Christmas books. I am always sure to clear a spot on the coffee table for The Important Book About Christmas.

I do believe I lost points for gluing the title on upside down. whatever.

~ for some reason, the boys make fun of said book every year. so,THIS year, I decided to display some of its glory for you. this page was a last minute, late night, "trace the cookie cutter" copy job. I tried to make it look like I had sketched it myself.
I do not consider myself to be an overly sentimental girl but this book is full of it. I think I still have the gift of exagguration and imagination. makes me good on stage. this is kind of funny to read now, especially because I can tell I made it all up. I barely even tried to keep the lines straight. can you say "last minute"?

this section went right under the mary and jesus illustration. I think I was trying to convince myself that the more words I wrote, the better I sounded.

and, just to note ... oh yah ... that's right ... wonder if I would have received an A plus if I hadn't done the dedication page in pencil.

can't wait to tell the boys that for the next two weeks, they will be creating their own Important Book About Christmas. I was in grade six when I made mine, so it is fitting that Jonam (grade 7) and Evan (grade 6) be fully indoctrinated themselves.

who said revenge wasn't sweet ... or useful?

how we shop for christmas

a while back I was on a loop that sent me emails about homeschooling boys. It was filled with tons of practical, funny, and just down-to-earth truth about raising kids...especially the boy kind. While this particular nugget of wisdom is not gender specific, I wanted to share it because it has made a huge difference in our celebrations as a family, and we ALL loved each other up in the process. Here goes:

Purchase only 3 gift types per person, corresponding to the gifts the magi gave...

gold ... wrapped in gold if you choose. this gift is a lavish show of your love

frankenscence ... wrapped in white. this gift is a spiritual gift, meant to encourage and inspire the soul

myhrr ... wrapped in brown. this is a "body" gift, like the incense given.

( perfume, jammies and slippers etc )

I loved the simplicity of the colours under the tree, and we all loved the narrowing down of the "what" to buy, as well as the paring down in expenses. It brought so much meaning to Christmas instead of random shopping.

Try it for yourself!