Christmas Present Delivery

Don and I drove to Winnipeg to drop off the kids Christmas gifts. We bought Leah a chaise lounge to add to her Ikea couch. They attach together to make a sectional. It works great and is very comfy!

Aaron's gift is a double shelf tool chest for him to store all his film making equipment. Looks good and functional too!!

Leah lounging on the original couch.

Don trying out the newly added chaise lounge add on.

Aaron happy with his two piece Mastercraft tool chest.

One on One Quilting

Two high school students came out to my quilt 'sweat-shop' to work on quilts that they started in the fall.

Paige is making two donation quilts for Security Blanket Providers. She had one top pieced and came over to use the long arm to quilt it. Donna assisted her. She was able to complete quilting the top and was very pleased with the result. 

Another student, Krista (yes we have the same name, and the same birth date actually!), is working on a queen sized quilt for herself. She has a lot more piecing to do to be ready to quilt on the long arm!

Donna showing Paige how to use the long arm machine.

Krista working on more squares for her queen sized quilt.

Paige's favorite fairy!

Paige is putting on binding, Krista is making more blocks.

Check out Krista's gorgeous star blocks.  only 41 more to go!?!?!

Paige is putting on the binding of the donation quilt.

Tada!  The finished donation quilt - front side and..

....back of the quilt.

Well done!  Some little girl is going to love this quilt!!

Cats: Where are your Owners?

Two cute cats looking for the returning ski-dooers. Baby and Manners wait for Aaron and Rhayne to return. 

Christmas Evening

Opened gifts at Mom and Dad's in PlaP. They gave Don and I a wood carving of a SawWhet Owl by Rusty Rutherford. It is beautiful!  Wonderful to have a carving of his!!

We went to Connie and Marvin's for Christmas supper. Lots of great food followed by a family jam session. New instrument to the band this year was Quinten's drum box. Sheyann enjoyed the music and danced with Great Grandma Vyra and her doll, Jessie. Lots of fun to watch!!

Aaron and Connie deep in conversation.

Wanda, Leah and George.

Don and Wanda rockin' around the Christmas Tree.

Vyra and Sheyann cutting up the rug!

Family jam session.

Sheyann's favorite Christmas doll, Jessie.

Carving by Rusty Rutherford.

Christmas Visit with Alma

We stopped at the Treherne Hospital to visit Alma. She was asleep and never did fully wake up. She opened her eyes a couple of times.

Alma in bed on Christmas Day.

Don, Alma, Leah, and Aaron.

Don, Alma and I.

Merry Christmas Morning

Opened gifts with Aaron, Leah and Don while Baby and Matt played in the wrapping and bows. We had to go outside to the garage to show them their gifts. We bought Aaron a Mastercraft tool chest to put all his film making supplies in. We bought Leah a chair from Ikea for her apartment.

Leah in toque, Aaron holding film reel wall art.

Baby and Matt enjoy the wrapping.

Outside kids and cats.

Aaron opens his Mastercraft tool chests present.

Leah seeing her Ikea chair Christmas gift.

Christmas Eve with Family Friends

Tradition has it that we get together with Dons Treherne High School buddies. This year we got together in the early afternoon for lunch. It is great to get together.

In the evening Aaron made whiskey sours, his new favorite drink, while Leah retreated to the wrapping station. Later, after the Christmas Candlelight Service Rex's stopped over for smoked salmon, a favorite of Katlyns and our gift exchange. 

TCI class of 76 get together.

Kids of the class of '76 (minus the Zeghers kids)

Traditional oldest to youngest stair photo.

Wives of the '76ers.  (Minus Sheryl)

Lauren playing with Matt.

Aaron preparing whiskey sours.

Enjoying the whiskey sours.  Very tart!

The official wrapping station is in full use.

Our traditional gathering with the Rex's.  Merry Christmas all!!

Zeghers Christmas Get Together

Had a fun but relatively quiet family evening at the Carlson's. It was nice to have our own kids, Aaron and Leah, and Aaron's girlfriend, Rhayne, able to attend. Unfortunately, Greg's family and Keri's family were both sick with the flu and colds and Sam had to work. It is really hard to get everyone together!

We did have Nathan and Nadine's son, Nolan, to entertain us. Nothing better than kids at Christmas!  Nolan was very happy to receive a John Deere tractor and wagon from his great uncle Don. Not sure if he was as excited about his sock monkey toque from his great aunt Krista?!?  

I gave Aaron and Leah Christmas tree wall quilts with battery operated lights as pre-Christmas gifts. Thought they could use them instead of getting real trees in their apartments. 

Great to see JoAnn, Craig and Max. Too bad Sam had to work. Ed and Jackie showed up later. A good gathering. Thanks Bill and Yvonne!

Non-shedding Christmas trees!

Wow! But how do we get it out of the box?!?

Christmas candies are the load for the wagon.

The men are captivated by the John Deere too?

Nolan and Meecha Yvonne watching video clips of Grandpa Bill's trains.

Goofy Aaron and Rhayne (in Cat in the Hat Sox?)

Putting up with trying on the Sock Monkey Toque.

Wool Batting

Ooooo. La la. The wool batting arrived!

Now I have witnessed the entire process, from sheep to processed wool batting. In June I helped Lisa on shearing day with her 40 sheep. Later we took some fleece to Sheeples in the interlake area. Today Lisa  brought the processed wool over here and she made two wool mattress pads (cuddle beds) for her two children for Christmas. 

We set up the white cotton cover material on the long arm frame and then placed in the wool batting. As we unrolled the wool batting bundles they sprung up and revealed how soft and thick each individual roll is. Amazing!  It only took three and a half wool bundles for a queen sized mattress cover!!

It was a challenge to get the puffy batts quilted without having puckers in the cotton material, but we got the hang of it after the first one. As 'payment' for use of the long arm sewing machine Lisa gave me enough material to make my own queen sized mattress cover. What a special gal!  

Fuzzy wool batting is used in the mattress cover.  

Here is Lisa at the long arm, making a 'cuddle bed'.

Oops.  It is hard to not get tucks in the cotton material as Lisa sews in the wool batting.

Voila!!  Two gorgeously soft cuddle beds!!

Sheeples products of wool batting (One open and the other three tied up in bundles)

and roving (in front and in a thin tube ready to spin).

A gorgeous gift.

Thanks, Lisa!!