Remembering

This was taken a couple of years ago! My sister in law, Penny, and nephew Matthew and I went Christmas shopping and we got our picture taken with Santa. It was so much fun! It had been years since I had my picture taken with Santa!! lol. How I wish we could have a Christmas shopping trip together this year!!! The memories are wonderful!!! I remember for years it was a yearly tradition for Penny (and whatever child was youngest at that time), myself and my mom would meet at Moxies at Chinook Centre for breakfast, we would talk and laugh so much it was easy to lose track of time!! We would sit by the big fireplace in there and eat, talk and laugh until we cried!! lol. Then we would go shop and still talk and laugh until we cried (most of the time at poor mom's expense but she loved it). Then we would go have lunch and do much of the same as we did at breakfast!!! Then we would shop a bit more and then it was time to go home!! It was awesome and I so miss those times but will treasure the memories forever!!! :)

I am feeling very sentimental these days with the holidays coming and decorating my house and getting ready to go help dad with his tree!! Missing my mom a lot as well as my brother Bill, Penny and all the kids. I miss my oldest son Tim too but he is coming for Christmas so I am excited about that!!! He should arrive Dec. 22 or 23rd and then he will leave to go back to Calgary Dec. 27th. It's a short visit but it will be great to be able to hug him!!! :)

We are also missing Peter's mom June as she has gone away for a few months to visit her family in Ontario and then spend Christmas with her daughter, Melissa and her family in Moosejaw. She will be home in January sometime though and we will have a Christmas with her when she comes home.........which by the way means...............THAT I GET TO LEAVE MY STUFF UP UNTIL SHE COMES HOME!!! :) Woohoo.........I am excited about that!!!!

This is not only our first Christmas without my mom but it's also our first Christmas without Peter's dad as well. Doc passed away six days before my mother did in May so it's been a rough year for us. Doc will also be forever remembered and charished!!! He was a wonderful, funny, loving man!!! The nice thing about all this is that my family and Peter's family have known each other for years and been friends for years so we are all experiencing this together! It's been great to have each other as support knowing we all loved the same people and are grieving and missing the same ones! We will get through it and we will remember them both always!!!

Here's to fond memories, cherished times together and to family!!!!! I love you all so much!!!!! xoxoxoxo