Christmas #'s 3 and 4

I love Christmas

- although our children were all away at their in laws this year, we enjoyed the celebrations we had with them earlier and were now ready to celebrate yet again with our siblings and my Dad. Christmas Eve saw us on the road, braving our way through falling snow and a very white landscape. This was our view at 4:30 in the afternoon as we drove the TransCanada highway towards Abbotstford. Conditions were not great and we passed at least 6 vehicles that had involuntarily left the Highway. They were scattered along our route some just far enough off the road to not make it back on without a tow and others that had spun out and were facing the opposite direction entirely. I felt sorry for them as their Christmas Eve's plans were delayed. Fortunately there were a number of Highway patrol helping them out.

(As an aside - I think drivers in the Lower Mainland and Fraser Valley are among the worst when it comes to driving in less than perfect conditions!)

Fortunately we made it to our destination in our big 4-wheel drive

Duramax truck without incident.

Alot more snow had fallen in Abbotsford than had here at home and we enjoyed taking pictures of the trees - so beautifully adorned by our creator.

My sister was waiting to welcome us

Her patio was a fairyland with the coloured lights and mounds of snow.

We were a smaller group than usual: my sister and brother in law, 2 of his children,

my Dad and Harv and I - a precious family even if somewhat incomplete.

It was so good to celebrate Christmas together.

Oh, how we missed Mom though.

I'd had a hard day - having been surprised by grief on hearing the old German Christmas Carol "Leise Lieselt der Schnee" on the CBC call in Christmas Card program earlier in the day.

How grief comes suddenly in huge waves after long periods of normalcy defies my understanding.

We are so blessed to have such warm memories of Mom on Christmas Eve when she would shine - putting on such a wonderful and fancy spread for those she loved so much. this picture is from Christmas 2005.

For a change of pace, we had a wonderful meal of Fettucini Alfredo with Salmon and Pistachios, a salad and then Chocolate fondue with fruit for dessert.

On Christmas Day we picked up my Dad and headed to Langley where the snow was piled even higher and spent the afternoon and evening with Harv's brother, his family and their son's friend/charge from a Communitas Carehome in Abbotsford. http://www.communitascare.com/ This young man's parents came out from North Van to join us and we had the traditional and fabulous as always, turkey dinner.

Driving home the roads were much better , mostly bare and wet.

Yet another Christmas Day come and gone. Our prayer is that we will remember and keep Christmas Day and it's gift to us in our hearts all year long.