Old and Dear

Yikes,  it's been a while since I've been in this blogger world but it has been for good reason.

The reason kinda looks like this...

Let the holiday celebrating begin... with a visit from old and dear friends.  And I want to clarify not old in "age" but when I say that it has been 17 years since we all lived in university residence together... old and dear are the first words to come to mind.

Needless to say, a lot has happened over the course of 17 years of friendship.  From moments of deep despair and struggles to the happiness of bridal parties and wedding dresses to the birth of beautiful babies. Our life stories have been written over this time.  And although the three of us have not lived in the same town since we were handed our university diplomas, the chapters in our book of  life stories overlap as we steal weekends here and there,  jump a quick flight to make the annual baking party, or in Shaun's case, pack the van with her four babies for a six hour drive because having her BFF's just a days drive away was worth the effort. 

It's always worth it.

What a girl won't do to be beautiful!

 Of course it goes without saying that I love, love, LOVE watching all our children together, making their memories. Crafting together, going skating, meeting Santa... all those things we would dream about during our days on McKercher Drive while we were eating popcorn for supper and watching The Jenny Jones Show.

And so what if our dreams may or may not have included baby number four...



... this girl is definately a keeper.

*****
After months of watching her big sister, Lexi finally had her skating debut.

And little sister rocked her double-bladed bob skates.

 My baby joined the ranks of the big kids stating, "I do it all myself."

Our weekend was capped with a visit from the big guy himself.  No amount of encouragement or watching friends sit on Santa's knee would be enough to convince my girls to pose for the photo opp and whisper their Christmas wishes to the man in red.

Callie did shake his hand and when he asked her what she would like him to bring her she answered, "nothing" as she hid behind my leg and reached out with one arm to get her gift.  Later, I asked why she didn't tell Santa that she wanted a scooter like she had told me the other day.  Her response was, "what I meant was he can bring me anything.  I will like anything he brings me.  If he brings me a scooter I will like it but if he doesn't bring me a scooter I will like anything I get because I like everything."

Dear, old friends, children, the holidays...
Let the memory making begin!