HAPPY NEW YEAR!

I'm going to get right to it...cause there is lots to talk about! First off - Happy New Year to everyone out there! I hope that 2008 is the best year yet! Stay happy and healthy!

Ok, let's take a few steps back. Daryl arrived home just before Christmas after spending a few days in Whitehorse with Sherri and time spent visiting friends and family that he hasn't seen in a quite some time. Although the weather was cold (I was told) spirits were high as the holiday season came speeding ahead. December 22 saw the arrival of Twyla, Gil and Tia-pet for a too-quick over-night visit. We had as many of Twyla's family members over as we could think of that evening for a pre-Christmas gathering. It was great to re-meet everyone and to share some laughs. Gary - we are certainly coming this summer for a music jam session!

It was such a pleasant holiday season all-round, because for the first year that I can remember, Daryl and I didn't have to drive anywhere! With my parents living just down the street, and everyone else coming to see us - we couldn't have had a more relaxing time. Our living room furniture arrived just in time as well - so we all didn't have to sit on the floor!

Christmas Eve was a quite day as we prepared to cook a 3-rib prime rib complete with all the fixin's! It was delicious - and the ambiance and company was just wonderful. We have been so thankful for the gifts received over the years, including our wedding. We received a very special wine decanter from Holi and John that we use quite often - but on this special day, we opened a 1998 bottle of Chateauneuf-du-Pape that was purchased when Daryl and I were in France in 2002. Although I could only have a small glass - it was absolutely yummy! I'm a firm believer that life is much too short to drink cheep wine! YUM! Monkey loved it too!Christmas Day brought to our oven a 29lb turkey...for 4 people. Yes, we are still eating turkey - but it was the best darn bird you have ever tasted! On the 27th my mom and I made 8 turkey-pot-pies, which are all resting comfortably in the freezer, waiting for the next turkey craving!
Boxing Day was an adventure, as Daryl set out at 6am to Future Shop for our last Christmas gift - a new SLR digital camera. He arrived at 6:03am and they were already sold out of the model on sale...so we ended up with the newer version with more bells and whistles than we know what to do with...but it came with an amazing telephoto lens that can focus on the clock on our neighbours microwave over 500m away! Very scary! So, the first few photos here are with our original camera, and after December 26 they are with the new one...can you see the difference?

The next few days were spent continuing with the home renovations. Not that Christmas isn't special and a time to rest and relax - but there is only so much eating and talking that you can do! Daryl and my dad continued with the tile installation at the front entrance, first with the thin-set layer and under-lay, laying tile, grout and finally sealing the whole deal. It looks AMAZING! But then there was the hardwood to continue to the stair edge too. They both worked so hard, but the end results are fabulous!

Following the adventures upstairs, Daryl decided that he was in the mood to attack the last bit of flooring on the main level which required the removal of the old terra-cotta-type tiles, grinding the 30 year old concrete mortar and then laying the new hard-wood floors. We learnt our lesson from the dust disaster that happened upstairs with the electric grinder, so Daryl - not wanted to upset his pregnant wife, rented an exhaust fan to suck all the dust out of the house as it was generated by the grinder. Well done Daryl, well done! With only a minor clean-up to follow, I was in much better spirits this time! And, once again, the finished product looks just amazing! I can't believe how different and what an improvement it all makes. And who knew that adding furniture to our empty living room would actually make it look smaller!
Do I work him too hard?