Christmas Day

We were ready to get up early (it actually seems to me that we haven't been sleeping at all lately...)

 Zack was up before 6 as usual and Julia got up at 6.20. She tried to wait for Kelden but since Grand-Mère, Grand-Père, Tonton Laurent and Tata Carole were ready, she opened her gifts without him.

She got a scooter, so she can do like her cousins.

Then she helped Zack.

He got Jake's boat.

 Then finally (a little bit before 7) Kelden woke up.

He received Jake's sword, but was jealous of the boat. Zack shared (a bit).

I also got something this year. A bread machine. Now that Keld walks to work and has to eat sandwiches there for lunch, he wants good bread...

 Then we went for breakfast (and lunch and supper too) at Grandpa Bruce and Special's. We opened gifts there too, by age.

Kelden shared his gift with smaller and bigger kids...

Linda got princess outfits and tried them on right away.

Julia received headbands to decorate, and thanks to Auntie Becca, she did them all in one morning.

Jeff got an indoor helicopter. I repeat, indoor.

Keld got a gift card for Future shop, which he used to buy a camera.
And now, the top 3!

I got new clothes, as you can see n the next pictures.

 The meals were great too, but I know a couple of people who didn't keep them long enough  in their stomachs...

Christmas Eve

Since we had already celebrated with the Hayes on Saturday, we had the traditional Chinese food supper on Christmas Eve (which we usually have on the 23rd).

We re-re-enacted the Christmas story (well, some of us did it for the first time). I don't think we can do it too many times anyway, it is, after all, the whole point of the season.

Uncle James was Joseph again.

But this time his wife was his daughter. She apparently had a fairly easy delivery.

It looks like it is the donkey who was tired...

The shepherd was doing very well...

...until the angel came...

...and scared her...

Despite a longer trip, the camel didn't seem tired at all.

 I think we all had fun.

We did so good acting that we thought we could try playing the bells. We need a little bit more practice for that I think, but they still did pretty well. You will recognize the First Noël (twice) and Silent Night.

I think Grandpa Bruce loved it !

The Hayes' Party

We had what I call "Aunt Tina's party" last Saturday.  Granny Hayes was there with most of her Timmins family.

Kelden enjoyed the cleaning up and the race cars:

I think he also liked dressing up again:

And the story begins with Joseph and Mary travelling:

They stop in a stable where they are welcomed by the cutest cow...

The angel warns the shepherds who go worship the baby.

Then, it's the wise men's turn:

We didn't stay too long after that. We're tired; we've all been sick and Zack hasn't been sleeping well. He's teething and coughing and he is also having night terrors. His last longer and are more violent than his siblings, which makes them all the more tiring...