How Very Merry It Was

Well, it's January 19th and I finally feel restored enough to tell you all about how our Christmas turned out. I'm sitting here with Billie at my feet-- she just fished my tea bag out of the garbage and had a pretty good chew of Acai Green before I got it away from her. If I keep hiding treats in the folds of her blanket, she might stay out of stuff long enough for me to write this.

So how did our first Christmas at Flying Leap go? Pretty well, actually, even though it had some hallmarks of a marathon. It started on December 15th, when Paul and I drove to Kelowna to pick up my son Luke and his partner Erika from the airport. It had been one and half years since we'd seen them (Becca & Dean's wedding) and of course I cried. They looked so young and healthy and beautiful, what's not to cry about?

These two stayed with us for a full three weeks, and what a gift they were! The very day after arriving, they tackled Project 'Move the Greenhouse So It Doesn't Block the View of the River for Christmas'. The greenhouse is 8' by 20' plexiglass, and it turned out to be a half-day job of digging and heave-ho'ing (there's a lot of that required around here, I'm learning). End result: it is now situated close to where it will be permanently installed on a concrete pad in the spring, and we have a gorgeous view of the river from our new dining room windows. Hurrah!

And of course, Erika being the amazing and talented girl she is, arrived with a suitcase full of gluten-free baking ingredients and treats from Toronto deli's for us to cook with. She knew that Dylan and I are gluten intolerant, and Becca was avoiding it and Luke should. We all cooked up a storm over the next three weeks, and I believe it was 100% gluten free and almost dairy free. That includes baking and multiple feasts-- proving that those of us with extra-sensitive gastrointestinal systems don't need to be gloomy sourpusses over the holidays.

On the 19th (Luke's birthday), Becca drove with Luke and Erika back to Kelowna to pick up Dylan and Alandra, who were flying in from Montreal. More joy to see these two, who had been wedded in September in Toronto. Our household was now complete with six of us staying at the Fleap. So where did we all end up sleeping and cooking and eating and bathing and lounging, you ask? To recap: my goal last September when we were so very optimistic and naive was to be moved into the house by Christmas. So we booked flights for the kids from TO and Montreal. By October, it was 'warn the kids things may not be completely finished'; by November I was despondent about being in the house at all and wondered where the heck we'd fit us all. By early December we were going with Plan D: have the carpenters mock up a kitchen for us (the gas was in and stove could be hooked up, and it was easy to push the new fridge into place and plug it in). Contractor Jim was very accommodating-- I think he was aware of my feelings about celebrating the holidays in the garage. The carpenters cleaned up the main floor by moving lumber and tools upstairs, tore the protective paper covering off the hardwood floors in the living room, and had given things a good sweeping. I went in the next morning and washed the floors twice.

So now it was December 22nd, and we had hauled over the dishes, pots and pans, dried and canned foods, refrigerater foods, couches, chairs, and Christmas decorations. We would eat and hang out in the house, and sleep in the three side-rooms in the garage, which Paul and I had cleaned out (moving boxes around yet again) and set up as bedrooms. I was in gritting-my-teeth-I-will-do-this-if-it's-the-last-thing-I-do mode. That afternoon, we decided we'd better look for a Christmas tree before the town ran out of them and we were forced to thieve off the Queen's land. Paul had noticed someone selling trees in the parking lot of the recreation centre, so he, Alandra and I climbed into the truck and headed out. Nothing there. Starting to panic. We cruised the main drag, and sure enough, spotted a man hanging out with four trees, in the lot of the garden supply place that was closed for the season. The last four trees for sale in town, and they were beautiful! $30.00 a piece or four for $90.00, he told us. We picked the biggest and best, stuffed it into the back of the truck, and headed home. Mission accomplished!

Here are some pics of the house decked out:

Luke and Erika cooking.

My lovely daughter-in-law Alandra making miniature Christmas decorations.

Love the cardigan and Star Trek communicator.

From the dining room window.

Some of my favourite moments from the holidays: Rebecca and Dylan bent over a chess game, hearing them talking and laughing; all of us gathered around the large dining room table we bought for the new house, for so many fantastic feasts; opening presents around the woodstove Christmas morning; seeing the Nutcracker livestreamed from the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow, at the Royal movie theatre in Trail; games of Risk, Trivial Pursuit, Sequence, MindTrap, Five Thousand; spinning honey with Luke and Erika, a task long overdue; talking by the fire and sipping liqueurs; snuggling into bed at night with my kids nearby-- can't beat that.

We said goodbye to Alandra on the 26th, Dylan on the 29th, and Luke and Erika on January 1st. On January 2nd we were back to one puppy (we'd taken care of Becca and Dean's Cooper while they were in Calgary visiting his family), and we couldn't believe how quiet things were. The carpenters arrived on the 3rd and helped carry the couches and comfy chairs back into the garage. It was all over, and boy was it worth it.

Some things we learned: 1) Don't book family to fly into Kelowna in the winter; pay the extra and take the chance they'll be able to land in 'Cancelgar'. 2) The house will work really, really well when it's finished. 3) Put a heater in the river end of the house, it gets chilly down there even with the woodstove on. 4) Finish the space under the stairs in the living room for wood storage-- we need a lot in the winter! And 5) This is going to be a phenomenal place for family and friends.

Much love and a Happy New Year to all!