You may recall my "Dear Santa" post in November where I lamented not having any specific or material "wants" to put on a Christmas wish list for my family. Instead I asked for the gift of time with them, in any shape or form they desired. Well this Christmas morning I received just that - and I couldn't be happier with my gifts! Wonderfully creative and full of opportunity to spend time with each other, each one makes my wish come true. I am blessed!
This year to celebrate Christmas I have compiled 40 years worth of Christmas memories (which I've been furiously sorting and scanning for the past couple of days) into one movie and married it to my favourite Christmas carol. Enjoy!
From our family to yours, we wish you the very best of the holiday season.
EMBED-Parrot Sing "Let The Bodies Hit The Floor" - Watch more free videos
Simple things like this make life worth living. This parrot makes me laugh every time I listen to him and trust me, I've listened to it over and over again. I think I am updating my Christmas Wish List - I now want this bird!
If you're in Edmonton for this holiday season, you should visit Maisie's Magical Christmas House, located at 9619 – 144 Avenue.
The house is named such in honor of the home owner's mother, Maisie Dolynchuk, who passed away in 2007 at the age of 82 years. Maisie loved the Christmas lights so much that she wanted them to be enjoyed by people even after she was gone. The house is her legacy.
There is no charge for people to come and tour the display, but you're asked to bring a non-perishable donation to the Edmonton Food Bank.
I'm having trouble this year deciding what it is that I would ask for to receive at Christmas if I were to make such a "wish list." Thing is, I really do have everything I need and am quite happy with what I have. I'd truly be happy just to enjoy the holidays with my family, see the happiness on their faces and to maybe steal some snuggle time with kids who will one day (too very soon) be too old for hugs or even just away from home at school or elsewhere in their lives. Honestly, this is possibly the last at home Christmas we all have together as next year my son will be off at university already. Life marches onwards.
Because there isn't really anything I need, the Mom part of me would be happy just to use any extra resources we have to make this a great holiday for the whole family. However, as unselfish as this might at first seem, the truth is that it is not helpful to my family, who would like to get me something for Christmas and keep asking me for input or other direct suggestions to that end. I'm not sure what to say even though I am aware that I need to find something to say.
I'm a Mom so I really do mean it when I say things like "I'd love it if you made me something" or "Whatever you think to get me would be a treasure to me" but this is mostly met with mild disdain and the rolling of eyes (yes, both from my teenagers and my husband). My husband has gone so far as to threaten if I do not come up with something for my Christmas wish list than he will be getting me some sort of trinket with "Homer" engraved on the side of it (for dramatic affect, I'm sure).
So as I lay here in my bed and contemplate this dilemma I find I am pushing the boundaries of my comfort zone. I already have a house full of possessions I may or may not use on a regular basis. I know that there are many places in the world where a small amount of money spent on me for a gift (that I might not need) could save the life of a child or improve the quality of life for an entire community. I do tire of the seemingly competitive nature of our throw away consumer economy and culture at times and yet I do realize (as I feel the same about giving presents) that my family desires to express love and attentiveness through the purchasing of a gift for me with their hard earned money. This is what our culture teaches us is expected, for better or worse. This dilemma is definitely a first world problem and in ways I am ashamed of my part in it. But I recognize too my helpless participation in it is required for many reasons. I am also relieved that this is the biggest issue facing me at this time. Life could be worse.
So, what can I tell you? There are items I suppose that I would be happy to receive, that in a perfect world full of infinite possibilities, I could see myself asking for. For example I would love to use an iPhone 4 with it's snazzy new camera, or have a video camera to make home videos for youtube or even a new camera body as mine has aged significantly. But all those cost enough money that it seems silly to ask for when I already own devices that perform similar tasks. I wouldn't cry if I opened an iPad on Christmas morning, but as I already have both an iPhone and a laptop why would I ask for that? I did want AppleTV but now with Netflix and Playstation Network the addition of AppleTV is merely superfluous. Indeed, isn't it all? That can't be the point, can it?
A scanner would help me get all my old family pictures into the digital realm (where I find I am spending most of my free time), my turtle would love to have a bigger domain to call his own (as would my goldfish), and (even though I have a gym membership) I'd love to have a treadmill at home so I can exercise everyday. I love having my hair and nails done and a tattoo would be cool. I love books (a better gift would be time to read I suspect, but that's not realistic) and I love to travel (I'd love to be going to see the last launch of the Space Shuttle in February). I don't have any winter clothes or a winter jacket (although I'm ok wearing Wes's jacket from last year). So I guess there are many ideas to choose from. I just don't want to ask for those things.
If I had my way I would ask for the gift of time. Personal time with each of my kids to get to know them as the people they are becoming and date time with my hubby, as well as family time together - a game night once a month, movie nights, day or weekend trips and time just to sit around and chat about our days. It seems as we all get busier and busier time for opportunities like this get farther and farther in between. But these are the things that I crave, need and desire. I have a strong awareness that when I die these times will be all that matter to me, not what items I have possessed or consumed in my life, but the memories of the times I was held in love by those who love me in return. And if I am lucky enough that, when I die I am once again surrounded by family and friends and held by those who love me, then I will have had, all my life, everything that I've always wanted or needed.
So, Dearest Santa, please, if you can, show my wonderful and loving family that I will happily accept everything and anything that they want to offer me and that it really is the thought that counts. I promise to cherish it (and them) forever.
Love,
Allie
On Saturday Edmonton officially launched the 2010 Christmas season by lighting a giant Christmas Tree (dressed in green and gold, of course) in Churchill Square at City Hall. There was also tents with local food and crafts, carols and some fireworks. You can see some of my pictures of the evening HERE.
Another Christmas Zooms Past
This has been a great Christmas Season - good times full of friends, family, celebrations, traditions and food. I love the Christmas season and look forward to it for most of the year; things like decorating the Christmas Tree, sending out Christmas cards, seeing the winter come alive with bright lights, and most importantly, the excuse to spend time with friends and family. It's those memories that I will cherish always. For me, that's what Christmas is all about.
Luckily I have a generous amount of holidays, which means time to relax, get reacquainted with my family, read some books, play some games, travel south and hopefully, take some pictures. Speaking of which, my Christmas Photos can be found here.
Bright Nights at Hawrelak Park in Edmonton, Alberta
We are celebrating Christmas Eve tonight with a lovely dinner (Duncan made a Roast Lamb!), some fresh Christmas baking, tracking Santa, carols and a sleigh ride through Candy Cane Lane. Our family would like to wish you all a happy and safe Christmas.
Readers of this blog may remember that during this past summer I was enjoying observing movie development in action - the filming of "Christmas in Wonderland" at West Edmonton Mall.
With actors in it like Patrick Swayze, Tim Curry, Carmen Electra, and Chris Kattan I thought it would be a bit of a local hit come Christmas but it didn't appear on the radar at all and I missed it (apparently it had a very low distribution). My daughter and I finally went to see it on Thursday. Our verdict?
Worst. Movie. Ever.
Worse than Tears of the Sun or Bats. Worse than Red Dawn!
It is supposed to be a "caper" comedy - although the premise (the Dad gets laid off right before Christmas, which threatens to ruin Christmas for the family) isn't really funny, people in the movie theatre were laughing alright - at the complete corniness of the movie, not because of plot or dialogue! There are a couple of terrible CGI images in the film, one where West Edmonton Mall looks like a huge shiny blue and pink castle and one that shows elves in the north pole that is truly painful. I'm struck with the thought that my dog might actually have been able to do better than this. How is it possible to spend so much time, effort and money and have it turn out so badly? Who could possibly watch this movie and okay it for release to the viewing public?
Roger Moore, reviewing the movie for the Orlando Sentinel said "Christmas in Wonderland kills Christmas and Chris Kattan's career in one fell Santa swoop." Read the rest of the review here.
I'm glad we went to see it because it did hold some special meaning for us - but the cold, hard truth is that it's an hour and 38 minutes of our lives we will never get back.
Before Duncan and I head off to bed very early this Christmas Eve we have discovered that NORAD had updated their Santa Tracking site - they now have a cool addition where you can actually track Santa in 3-D through Google Earth. We are watching as Santa is warming up his reindeer at the North Pole. He leaves in a few minutes! First stop - Russia.
I've always loved this time of year - and even more so now as a parent. Let the magic begin!
