A Vacation in Pictures

Obviously, after so many celebrations and a vacation away there are well over a hundred pictures of the events. I had a hard time choosing which ones to share here, but have a look anyway - our first part of Christmas came when we visited my dad...One of the favourite activities at Grampa and Gramma's house is using the burn barrel!Christmas morning and the Duck just opened her first 'real' camera. A real hit for a present...and the reason we will have more pictures like this:And this...We joined our friends for a Christmas dinner and ate far too much - of course.These are the leftovers (and the mess!)Every year we put together a gift basket for the whole family - trying to get something for everyone. What would a gift basket be without some crazy string?The crazy string was everywhere and stuck on everyone. My husband and I were innocent bystanders!The end of the evening was saved for games. We played Settlers of Catan and the men enjoyed Extreme Jenga.

Then, on the 27th, we all headed for Niagara Falls. The whole vacation was relaxing and fun! For the kids it's all about the pool:There was a sun room in the hotel that we used as a personal buffet room for our group. Bringing the groceries cuts down on the expenses.Christmas in Niagara Falls means the Festival of Lights. There were hundreds of displays like the one below. It was cold for walking, but we bared it for one night to see the many displays. There was a blessing in the mix, too. The pool at the hotel was closed down for maintenance one day, so the manager offered us an extra night FREE! The kids were thrilled - OK, so were the adults.

Now, we are home and happy to be in our own beds. The dogs missed us. It is hard to imagine getting back into the routine of school tomorrow, but all vacations must come to an end. (Sigh)

Happy New Year!