Saturday Dec 17th –
Mike and I both awoke around 7:00 am but we didn’t hear any noises coming from upstairs and didn’t really feel like being awake that early anyways, so we went back to sleep until around nine and than joined mom and dad upstairs on the couches with coffees pretty quickly in hand, thanks to Dads fast serving skills πβοΈ
A cold weather warning was in effect πβοΈπ‘
(Nice way to keep convincing Mike of all Canada’s riches π)
That didn’t stop him from going out for a short morning walk with dad though π¬
After the guys returned from their surveillance of the area, mom made us all a breakfast of porridge and toast.
Heavy on the brown sugar for me pleaseπ
As we were cleaning up from breakfast, I asked mom exactly how much she had wanted a certain Tupperware container that was only available for me to get in Europe.
I told her I hadn’t gotten it for her because it had been a lot more expensive then I’d thought and I wanted to make sure she really wanted it before I got it.
She said that yes, she did indeed like it a fair amount but maybe we could split the price and call it a partial gift π
And so we went on cleaning up the kitchen.
As she turned around to get more dishes off the counter though, something that wasn’t there before caught her eye π
Yep, the very container we had just spoken about! π
Turns out, Mike had decided to get it for her anyways and earn some brownie points since Josh was in the lead from doing the kitchen renos π
He hadn’t told me about it either so I was just as surprised as mom, not only that he had gotten it, but also how in the world I’d missed spotting it in the suitcases!
All in all it was a humours morning event and an appreciated one π
Mom and I sat down to do some drawing after the table was cleared and I am ever amazed at her abilities.
I should be used to them after 21 years but nope…
How she picks up the marker and just effortlessly prints out the exact thing I’ve been attempting for the last 25 minutes is not only awing but also rather aggravating ππ
I did learn much in our little session and she will forever be my teacher it seems, hopefully I’m a little bit of a better student now though ππ
The finished product, made for my friend/soon to be an official teacher π
Dad brought Spencer over for a bit and he still wasn’t super sure of me but for sure less certain of Mike π
Time and candy will have to change that π¬πΆπΌ
I prepared a chicken tortilla soup while we discussed the rest of the day’s plans and got a list together for town.
(I will share the recipe for that soup soon as it’s easily one of my favourites but I hadn’t found the green chilies needed to make it in Holland yet.)
Mom, Mike and I left for town and our first stop was ‘The Lebanese Kitchen’, a restaurant mom had been telling us about.
A beef shawarma wrap, chicken platter and grape leaf appetizer were ordered and most was enjoyed π
The grape leaves were stuffed with rice among other things but they were served cold and we had been expecting hot.
Mom and Mike didn’t mind them but they were not something I require to ever have again… hot or cold π
We then had multiple stores to check out, some for necessities and some in anticipation for the sugar cookie baking date I had planned with my friend for the next afternoon π
Once all the goodies had been picked up we drove over to Alfred Jenkins sports facility so Mike could play soccer with the guys and mom and I went for an hour long speed walk on the tracks, joined by Shainah and Elsa.
The little group of soccer supporters π
Once we were walked out, we watched the rest of the game from the bleachers until it ended around 9:30 and we all headed to our homes.
Ready for rest and shopping/jet lag recuperation π
Sunday Dec 18th –
Sleep had gone from great to less great day by day, us awaking earlier and earlier so we were ready for church in plenty of time but it also gave us ample time to enjoy the Sunday breakfast by Bob βοΈπ΄
An entire church service in English, how I’ve missed you π
Songs I can sing with, sermons understood without the hassle of headphones giving a headache ππ»
Afterwords was a flurry of familiar faces and welcome backs and the general relaxed feeling of being back where one knows who’s who and what’s what π
We left Mike there to visit away and decide what his plans were and where/who he’d go to eat with since we had already planned to spend our afternoon cookie-ing with Mel after enjoying the soup made the day before π
Mel arrived and it was wonderful πππ
As was the soup π
After soup and a little sit had been finished with, the time for sugar cookies had arrived π¬
We had it on good authority (Proπ) that the Betty Crocker (did you know Betty Crocker isn’t a real person??!) sugar cookie mix was super easy and just as, if not tastier, then regular homemade ones, so those were what we went with!
Thankfully mother was lending a helping hand to help speed along the process πππ»
Cookies cut and baked, colors were picked, icings mixed and vanilla added generously π
And the decorating (if we can call it that) process began π
Decorating cookies prettily, is so overrated π
It was the idea of it more than anything and it was sufficient to make us feel like we kind of accomplished something π
All in all, all the cookie casualties, icing bag mishaps etc, made for a fun afternoon ππ
Dark and snow came and Mel had to go but the day had been a success and it wasn’t yet over.
Nathin, Becca and Spencer had come over and we decided since they were there the timing was right to give out the goodies we had managed to pack for everyone ππ
I love presents π
Both Mike and I are awful at keeping a present to give until the correct timeπ¬
He got me a present before we left Holland and he told me the same day that he had he got it because he wanted to give it too, but I resisted and opened it here and I’m happy to add another charm to my pandora bracelet π
A little postcard representing our Paris trips on the front and the ‘I wish you were here’ saying engraved on the back representing family ππππ»π
Jemstory 