Woke up to see a few inches of fresh snow had fallen overnight. Our SnowWoman (she inadvertently ended up with an hourglass figure) was getting more and more lopsided with every passing flurry. The kids, weirdly, were sitting quietly with Grandma-Sue at 8am waiting for everyone to rise – they actually had to be reminded that they had received permission to wake the parents anytime after 6am! 
We had a lovely Christmas morning with the family, all warm and toasty inside with the snow outside the window – we did spare a few thoughts for everyone back home struggling through Christmas in the mid-30Cs heat, but only a few.
After a bunch of presents were given (I’ve obviously been in Canada too long, my collective nouns have all reverted to ‘bunches’), we went to Uncle Gary’s to meet up with the extended family and spend the afternoon together.
Turns out street hockey is a ‘must-do’ Canadian experience which everyone got into with vigour. We had the full experience with at least one scuffle breaking out, regular breaks upon calls of: ‘CAR!’, and one poor young player copping the ‘puck’ to the gonads. 🙂 
Our intrepid street hockey players.
Lunch was a lavish affair of roast turkey, baked ham, and all the trimmings. Absolutely delicious. For the first time ever, the kids enjoyed a roast Christmas dinner without having to be dragged out of the swimming pool to eat. A goodly portion of food and wine was consumed until everyone had their fill – and still, they’ll be eating turkey leftovers for a month, I’d say. 🙂 
We watched some football and the kids played some games and entertained Zoe, the puppy until it was time to go. Luckily, one of the cousins remembered to set up a group photo before we all dispersed…
Merry Christmas everyone… we had an amazing time and created a memorable Christmas that I am sure none of us will forget for a lifetime. <3 