Today we had our annual family pot luck dinner. It was great to see some of our extended family again. I wish we would/could get together more often. We were missing 4 members this year.





Pictured from left to right starting at the top.. Brianna, me, Don, Chloe, Marshall, everyone sitting at the table, (Zachary, Jenn & Sarah together), Paige, Carolynn








Stacey, Ken, Terry, Pauline, Wendy, Megan, (Tena, Sean, Julia & Brendan together), Dad, Mom









Zachary, we are all at the table in the next 2 pictures, Sara with Tom, Chloe & Paige in their cute dresses, (Sarah & Brianna also had the same dresses), Brianna with Zachary, Megan & Sarah eating pie & ice cream, a cute pic of Brendan, Julia & mom Tena, & Zachary concentrating on eating his dinner.... I still can't believe he ate as much as he did!!

Merry Christmas!

Christine & Brianna slept over last night as usual for Christmas Eve. I got up just after 6 this morning & looked in to see if Brianna was awake. She looked up & I asked her if she wanted to sneak downstairs to see if Santa had been yet... of course she didn't say no! We quietly checked things out & if I hadn't stopped her, she would have looked at everything before anyone else was up. We went back upstairs to wake up Mommy & Grampa. I'm sure they would have loved having a couple more hours sleep, but Brianna was way too excited to let that happen... & so was I!










it didn't take her long to open all her presents










at left, Chris checks out the beautiful lavender set Brianna gave her.

Later on, Jenn & Carolynn & families arrived & so did mom & dad. It was loud, busy, & lots of fun having everyone there.

Picture on left is... Sarah, Paige, Chloe & Carolynn. On right is Tom










I love my new sweat shirt. Carolynn is enjoying the kids.




Mom examines her new sweater.

Zachary looks as if someone surprised him.









Left is Brianna, right is Chloe











Left is Dad & at right Don & Jenn.

The major announcement is that Mom & Dad have agreed to be put on the list for a nursing home. Unfortunately, there is a 1 - 2 year waiting list. I know Dad has been worried about what will happen to Mom if he has to be hospitalized. I told him I'd have to go stay with her at their place until a room came up for her. She would be taken in in what is called "crisis". The same would happen if she was admitted to hospital & it was deemed unsafe for her to return home. The biggest problem with that is you never know where she would end up... it could be almost anywhere in Ontario where there was a bed for her. She would stay there until a room in one of the 3 nursing homes she applied for became available. She has gone downhill both physically & mentally. To give you an idea how bad her memory is now, I had bought a present for her to give to one of the children at Christmas. I told her who it was for & that it was from her & Dad. Within the next half hour, she must have asked me at least 10 times who it was for. Each time I answer as if it was the first time she asked it. Poor Dad has to go through this every day.. all day. He doesn't like leaving her alone in case she has another fall. He was grocery shopping one time & came home to find her on the floor. The last few falls she has not seriously hurt herself, just some minor scrapes & bruises, but I know it's only a matter of time. Although, she doesn't get up as much any more.. .she just sits in her chair & stares into space or at the tv most of the time now. I'm not sure how much she's getting out of the tv programs though.

Tena & family are coming down for Boxing Day this year, although they won't be staying for dinner. Terry & family are also not staying for dinner. His girls have a party to go to. I guess going to a party is more important than spending time with your grandparents & other extended family members for more than a couple of hours a year! Do I sound a little angry? I am.. although disappointed is probably closer to it. This could be Mom's last Christmas & they blow it off as if it really doesn't matter. I know it's no fun being around a bunch of adults or children when you're a teenager, and a party sounds so much better, but why doesn't Terry say something like.. sorry you'll have to be late, this is more important or something like that... They've known for a year that we always get together for Boxing Day. Dad was really upset about it. As he says... the only reason they're coming is to get some presents. That's how he feels & I really don't blame him. They haven't seen much of Terry & family since they moved here 4 yrs ago. I don't think Kerri & Stacey have been down here since last Christmas. We just found out that Mike & Lisa are expecting another baby... Jan. 9th!!! Even Mom & Dad didn't know about that!

Oh well... I better sign off before I start getting more angry & saying things I might regret...

Nov. 30, Dec. 1 & Dec. 2 we had our musical drama/dessert theater at church. It was quite a "family" production since there were 4 of us who were part of it. Don was one of the actors & Chris Jenn & I were in the choir & with other singers. Most of the time the choir were behind the scenes but in one of the scenes we were a trio called the "Quackenbush sisters". Yes, I said sisters...not sure if that was supposed to be a compliment to me or an insult to them. Another scene we were the "Dropettes" singing in a commercial. That was the part I liked the best. We were on a revolving platform. The characters on stage were supposed to be changing radio stations (& we were part of the radio stations) so we went from a "bad choir" (they were hilarious) to a scene from a radio program, (which was on another revolving platform) to the commercial, to the bad choir, back to the commercial to a fellow singing in an opera. Although it was set around the time of the bombing of Pearl Harbor, there was a lot of humour throughout the production. We had a great time doing it... soooo much fun!!















Jenn in another trio Don as the love-struck postman










The Quackenbush sisters!! what a riot! At least we remembered what we were singing.












Here we are as the Dropettes, taking turns with the "bad choir". You can see them just behind us as we started turning again. We were laughing so much we almost couldn't sing.







Now we are on the other revolving platform for the finale.













Everyone comes out for a final bow.