Thursday, December 25, 2008

Merry Christmas

Well it's almost 6:00 am on Christmas Day and I'm writing a new blog - we don't have kids in the house to wake us up, but my internal clock says "get up and get things done" before you leave. So I finished folding clothes, I need to vaccum but I don't want to wake Jack so I guess I will write this then make some coffee.
We had a great time last night with Ryan, Breanne & Marc, Nicole & Cecil, Ashley (friend/Ryan's date) plus Jaelyn, Rob & three beautiful granddaughters. We opened stockings, had dinner then opened gifts. Then when the real fun was supposed to start (opening the $10 fun gift exchange) it flopped. No one was over agressive in stealing - I guess that means we had too good of gifts to not want to steal...note to self must change that next year).
All in All the evening went very well. So with that I will close in saying, Merry Christmas to Everyone from the Ashby house. May God be ever present in your hearts over this holiday season. Stay Safe!

Tuesday, December 16, 2008

Colder than Frights

Wow, this has been the coldest spell in a long time. I know that when the middle of December starts to get close, I believe that we are on the back side of winter. But how wrong am I when we keep hearing from the weather man it is going to get colder and just a little more snow.
We have been busy with Christmas parties, visiting folks, finishing up the baking & Christmas cards. But that's all part of December - every year we go through the same rituals of trying to accomplish all these things.
It's also hard to believe that tomorrow will be one week until Christmas eve and then the following day Jack and I leave for Minneapolis, MN...yes, you read correctly. I bought Jack tickets for the NFL game on Dec. 28th and so we are going to brave even colder weather (outside) than Calgary. They get all the cold weather from Winnipeg so that should be pretty much what we are getting the latter part of this week, we should experience it again next week. However, we are staying only 3 miles from the Mall of America and this is a much heated indoor, 550 businesses to shop, eat and explore in. I think that a good couple of days exploring this place should keep us very warm. Plus the football stadium is indoors with around 70,000 adoring fans (Jack bought ear plugs). We hope to also get a chance to see the refinery that our Alberta crude oil is shipped to. This is where one of the offices that I work for is located. Then on the 30th we head to New Jersey to surprise my parents who are at my sister's place for New Years eve. That should be fun, just not sure if we will get into New York or not....pretty crazy time with the ball dropping at time square etc.
So I am counting the days down until our kids & families are brought together on Christmas eve and then off to a cold, very cold destination. This will be a much needed rest of a holiday (after all how much shopping can one person really do)???

Friday, December 5, 2008

December Rush

I like to call this time of the year "December Rush"...because that is just what everyone does....rush, rush, rush...rush for a parking stall, then rush into the store (until you have to pay for something then there is no rush as the register lines are all really, really long). Our work just collected $800 from 13 folks so our company will match our money. We went to Neighborlink and got 2 families to support. Now everyone is rushing around trying to get clothes etc. for people that we haven't even met. I just got off the phone with my boss (who just happens to be the President) and even he said how hard it was to shop for little boys that he hasn't met etc. He did say that he will be talking with his 6 year old son about giving up some of the toys that he doesn't play with. Very commendable!
I have my Christmas party downtown tomorrow night and again it will be a rush...from first thing in the morning right up until we rush to the restaurant to set the tables with cenre pieces and names....plus I have to make up a list of instructions for my boss to read...again, rush, rush, rush.
Jack is in Regina at board meetings so things are a little more quiet here. He is due home tomorrow afternoon just in time to rush home from the airport to change clothes and rush out the door....there's that word again about rush. So I guess that I will end this with, "I have to go rush out and finish the dishes, get the laundry going and figure out my dress for tomorrow night...rush, rush, rush!!!! I'm sure that most can relate.