Just like that...

...Christmas is done.

It felt like prom, all the hype, excitement and then within 12 hours its done.

Christmas was good this year. Santa was good this year.
before I start my re-cap, let me say I need to get better at taking pictures! I have a camera but I hate taking it out and turning into that paparazzi person. Next year I will have great ones!


On Christmas eve day I went for an 8k run. Gotta burn off some calories before you stuff yo' face again.

Then my mom's side of the family went to my aunts house for food, laughter and of course of Christmas stockings.

Christmas morning was a bit different. Usually my little fam wakes up and eats our homemade Egg Mcmuffins while opening stockings my mom puts together. Then we head over to the tree and see what Santa left.

Danielle and Ryan didn't sleep over this year so we had to wait until 10:30am for them to arrive.

My Grandma and Grandpa Hannon loved seeing us all and enjoyed visiting them in the afternoon.

After visiting my grandparents we headed over to my moms parents for dinner and more gifts.
It was a full house, minus my uncle and his family who were with my aunts family.

After dinner and when the food coma came on, we headed home. Ry and D stayed the night which was great. I love spending time with them. Spending the day with them was a tease because I want to see them all the time! Such is life.

I was going to go boxing day shopping (black friday for you americans) but from the tweets and texts it sounded like a zoo. I stayed home and played with my new gifts instead.

I got many giftcards to starbucks, Tim Hortons, a Charlie Brown Happiness is a warm blacket dvd from Karen, glee cd from Ry and D and nail polish :)

The best gift I got?

Dying to finish my other book so I can read all about my new boyfriend Tim Tebow.

Scenes from the weekend-Christmas edition

Christmas this year was amazing! I didn't take loads of pictures as I was running around the entire city to see grandparents and enjoying my family all day. I did take tons of mental snaps!

Of course it wouldn't be Christmas without yummy cookies, many self-portraits, going to starbucks to get free coffee from my cousin who was working that night, tracking Santa on twitter, sappy texts and santa pj's. 

Traditions were changed this year. Traditions that my little family has been doing since my brother was born were not done this year. And it's not Christmas without tears. Add in one cup of emotions,  1/2 cup of jealousy, a dash of not used to sharing Ryan with Danielle's side of family, stir in 4 hours of sleep and you get big, ugly tears. Maybe I'll share the story later. Or not. 

I was so excited to give the gifts I made and bought for my family. I did good this year. Now, let's figure out how to make next year even better!

Hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas! 

I'm off for a run, try to burn off those chocolates! 

Merry Christmas

I wish y'all the happiest and best Christmas yet.
Merry Christmas,

Since when did I turn 57?

Thanks to the goodness that is Pinterest, I finally have found my new hobby.

I've never been a crafter or DIY-er but lately it takes everything within me not to craft 24/7.

I already have two more crafts in the works and can't wait to share them here.

On sunday I finally made those wreaths I'm sure y'all  have seen around the 'net.

Next? I'm making these.

Thanks Jenn for the idea.

thanks for the idea Nicole

Happy Thursday, friends! 

Dreams and goals

Pinterest has taken over my life. Not really. But I LOVE logging on (not on my phone because the app seems to not want to work when I want it to) and "pin" away.

Can we talk about the awesome blog, perfect bucket list and how amazing it is?!

 Maybe because it's almost the end of 2011 (where does time go?!) but here are the top things I want to do before I die.  There are little things I want to do, like be given a puppy on Christmas or be kissed while it's snowing and move out on my own but that's a given.

I'm seriously thinking about doing this

Doing this May 2013 with Karen :)



I love this and it will happen



On of my dreams is go on a mission trip...somewhere far

 

And I love this one.

:)

What do you want to do before you die?

Christmas Link up-Traditions

I'm linking up for the three week with Becky and Aly :)

This week is all about traditions!

~

I love traditions. Life wouldn't be the same without them...at least for me! This might sound like a Christmas re-cap but we've done the same thing every year, so ya, it's a tradition.

Every Christmas eve, my mom's side of the family goes to my aunts house for a great evening. The evening is filled with my loud family, playing pool with the cousins, watching a Christmas special or sports if my male cousins get the remote and of couse yummy finger food.

My grandma also makes everyone a stocking to open. I'm no lying when I say she starts January 2nd.  It's filled to the brim with our favourite soaps, razor blades, gift cards to timmy hoes (Tim Hortons) or starbucks for me!

I seriously love Christmas eve! I love it because for the evening it's all about family, which is the reason for Christmas.

~

Christmas morning though is hands down my favourite part of the whole Christmas memories.

Of course, I wake up at 7:30 and wait...and wait...and wait for my brother and my parents to wake up. Who sleeps in on Christmas?! Never understood that!

While my mom makes our egg McMuffins with grapefruit and coffee we open our own stockings that mama Hannon puts together. 

I have no clue how or why my mom makes egg McMuffins on Christmas morning! I'm not complaining, I love it!

After breakfast I rush everyone downstairs to see what Santa left. Here we spend time slowly opening our presents and enjoying our time as the 4 5 of us.

After showers and makeup, we head to my dad's parents nursing home to give them their presents and spend time with them.

Now it's around 1pm and we head down to my mom's parents to open gifts there and later have Christmas dinner.

We get home around 9pm and head to bed. It's such a busy day but I wouldn't have anyway else.

5 days left! and I haven't started wrapping..opps!

Show them what Christmas really means.

I think that we all and I'm guilty too get caught up in the material part of Christmas. Michael Kors watch! Marc Jacobs bag! WANT WANT WANT!

Which is not what we have been taught. We know the meaning of Christmas is all about giving. Not just giving to others such as family/children but those who have much, much, much less than us.

A few weeks back, my friend Jennifer, from church who is a senior at Southern University in Louisiana, wrote on her twitter how for $16 we can give some chickens to a family in a developing country.  I got thinking about the chickens, how we aren't just giving them chickens but those chickens will provide food for the family, they can also sell the eggs for income and breed them for more chickens which will in turn produce more eggs! Talk about a cycle.

I've always have wanted to sponser a child but I don't have an extra $365 dollars laying around. But I do have $16.

When Jenn posted this, I made sure to save some of my money and buy some chickens closer to Christmas.  I was thinking at that time maybe one or two.

And I get that Christmas is an expensive time. I get that some can't even afford many gifts for family AND buy for those in need. I get it.

The only reason I was able to buy one mosquito net, books for children and a pig and chicks was because I was very lucky to be able to have picked up a few extra shifts at work, go to a paid focus group and babysit twice this month.

Even if you don't feel comfortable purchasing over the 'net, you can do things in your community to make someone feel loved this Christmas.

As Anne Frank said, No-one has ever become poor by giving.

Let's remember those who are in need this holiday season. Even buying a coffee for that homeless person outside the  starbucks or grocery store can just brighten your day and theirs.

Happy day, friends!


*World Vision did not pay me in any way. Just my thoughts and expressing what we can do this season for others*

On the coldest night of the year...

...we ventured out and went to a beautiful Christmas display downtown-ish.

mom and pop

and of course reindeer came! 

happy sunday!

The week with the dog

I pretty much say daily that I want a dog. A Golden Retriever named Marly.

Well, as much as it hurts to say this, I'm not ready for a pup.

I spent a week with one. 24 hours a day, 7 days.

My aunt and her boyfriend went away on vacation this past week to the Dominican Republic and we offered to talk their dog. Which gladly they took us up on.

Princess is her name. A 9 year old Golden.

We actually went running together! That's another post in itself but basically when I mapped out a nice "7K" route, I didn't change the distance from miles to kilometres. If we continued running we would have run 10k, which is about 7 miles. Both she and I were dead by 7k and had to stop!

Other than that, we slept. And ate. 

My poor cats, they were so scared of her that for seven days they didn't leave the basement. Thank goodness they are back to normal!



Can I get a belly rub?!

She slept in this basket all day,  everyday :) 

Maybe when I'm older I'll get a doggy. 

Just not right now.

Currently

I'm linking up with Jenn today from Perfectly Imperfect for Currently.

Current book(s)

love me some Sparks

current playlist

Baby, It's Cold Outside - Lady Antebellum

Jingle Bells-Michael Buble (feat: Puppini Sisters)

White Christmas-Michael Buble (feat: Shania Twain)-two of the best Canadian singers :) 

current colour

Meep Meep Meep-OPI

current food

my daily smoothie and coffee :)

current shows

                                            Right now I'm watching BL from the start the season that just ended. 

current need(s)

a day to craft! Just a day, that's all. 

current triumph(s)

I'm at my lowest weight that I have ever been :) so happy. 

current bane(s) of my existence

the phone call I got from the mother who I was babysitting for last night. Asking me if I took her tickets for Mary Poppins. I know she wasn't accusing me of stealing them but really? Hard not to think it. 

current celebrity crush

either

Tim Tebow

or

Dolvett from the biggest loser

current #1 blessing

weight watchers. Thank you for helping me to lose 12.2 so far! 

current indulgence

minced meat tarts. So good for Christmas!


current outfit

ya, not taking a picture of my pj's.

current excitement
Santa will be there in 9 days!

 current favorite holiday decoration
our tree. 
current #1 item on your wishlist

Is it to late to ask Santa for one?
 current new year's resolution
Get down to my goal weight.