CHRISTMAS CAME AND WENT

Christmas came up so fast, it caught me off guard. I did what I could and ignored what I didn't had time to do... Everyone got presents... I got most of my shopping done on the first day. Got gifts for everyone who came to dinner...

We miss our oldest daughter, Nicole who has been vacationing in Cuba and Spain this Christmas season. We missed you Nicole. Merry Christmas...

Christine arriving on the 19th at night  with her family. I'll have pictures of them later...

Christmas day was a hub of activity in the kitchen.  Here Jackie and Bill are working away.
I prepared the  turkey and veggies and my helpers cooked the food. Jackie made the cranberry relish and the dressing,  yum... Christine made the Broken Glass torte with two different base just so I could eat some. Bill was on the gravy, at least he was stirring it. I know he'll correct me if I'm wrong.  I left the chefs to fend for themselves and went to work at the farm.  My stove started to beeb because the sensors over heated and Bill had to trip the breaker switch to quiet  the annoying beeping...

The meal was served buffet style...
The dressing was made by Jackie and was very very tasty and we had two pans of it.

The brimmed free range turkey was huge, moist and delicious.  It was given to us by Reid's  father, Reid is our young  hired hand.

The gravy was very delicious... It was so good, there was non left...

We had carrots, baked squash with cranberries,

Broccoli, and some green peas (not shown).

Mashed garlic potatoes with cream and butter. Christine prepared the potatoes. On the table there were also assorted pickles.

Christine made the Broken Glass Torte with a shortbread base so I could eat it and

she also made the regular Graham wafer base Broken Glass Torte.  So we had lots of desert.

Here Vaughan is filling his plate . We were 16 for our Christmas dinner and had three tables set up.

George was in charge of calling the card numbers for the present game. This game is a hoot and everyone love to participate.

On the sofa, Christine, Jackie and Bill

Nicole, Vaughan and Liam

Joe  got his card called and wants to pick a present.  This is such a fun game...

Jordyn and Sean. Sean got 5 presents in the end because everyone had ran out of cards.

 The boys wanted to watch a DVD instead of playing the present game this year so they all got presents anyway... Cypress came to be with the adults...

A group hug. Christine, Vaughan, Jackie and Small Nicole.

Cypress was the first one to want to leave. He opened the door and said goodbye Mamoo... He wouldn't wait for mom and dad...and was ready to go out in the dark...

This is grandson Simon smiling for a pose

and Mira,  our extra ordinary artist.  She is so creative.

I apologize that I'm using so many photos for this post but it's for the benefit of my family. I hope you enjoyed a glimpse of our Christmas celebration.

On Christmas morning we sang Happy Birthday to baby Jesus and Daniel was so excited. James and Daniel sang loudly and Daniel exclaimed, Yeah... We sang so good....

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas with those you love. My heart goes out to those who have lost  or had to say goodbye to love ones this year.  Their Christmas is forever changed. Warm hugs to to all of them. Thanks for visiting and for leaving a comment.

JB

COWS WITH SENSE OF HUMOR

What do I expect when it gets -25 °C outside? I expect lots of inconvenience, frozen water pipes and water bowls, in my end of the barn,  bawling calves waiting impatiently for their warm milk,  longer work hours, cold hand and feet.

Yesterday morning was just such a day but I was also expecting a cow to calve during the night. So early, I made a point to go check on her first thing in the morning. I really thought that she was ready to calve and I could have bet my winter farm jacket that she would calve during the night.

Instead, I found #391 in the next pen with twin calves by her side and cow  #322 cooing for those calves.   #391 was milked but only gave 4 pints of milk...

 I called my son Vaughan to come  check #322 to see if she was needing help to calve.  After an inspection, he couldn't feel any calf and called the vet to come check her up.  I was so sure she would calve during the night.......

 I won't bore you with the details of my work but on returning for the evening feeding, I found yet another large  baby bull calf in with #391 and the twins...  Again I call my son. The vet never came so we realized that #322 must have had her butts against the other pen and the calves squeezed under the fence as they were born and #391 cleaned then up and claimed them as her own.. It was a tight squeeze  under the gate because there was lots of bedding in those pens.

The mystery was solved and I'm overrun by calves still...

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Christmas came and the family was all here except my oldest daughter Nicole who was vacationing in Greece and then in Istanbul Turkey during the Holidays. We all missed here very much.

Here are some photos of the family at play. The house was full of happy laughter. Sorry, I didn't took photos of the dinner again this year. I promise that next year I'll make a point of taking photos of the meal.

Daniel and James watching a Thomas DVD.
Notice the focus on both these boys.

Mama and Daddy are setting up the gingerbread on the special tray, getting it ready to set before James help decorate it.

James is a great help and is getting a pro at placing candies in the frosting.

James  did a super deluxe job on this gingerbread house.
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Daniel and James are trying their new game.

A new train track bought secondhand on Kjiji

Another Kjiji find. The boys just loved it and played with it for hours.

James just loves his Christmas stocking full of good things.

Daniel is finding some toys in his stocking too.He take one toy out at a time and plays with it before going to the next item. Just wait till he finds out there are chocolates in there...

Family are arriving for the day.

Jackie and younger Nicole showing us their new silk wrap and Simon on the left, Bill in the background.

We'er in the kitchen sampling a very expensive type of coffee sent by my daughter Nicole when she was travelling to Indonesia earlier. Kopi Luwak coffee.  I'm still very reserved on this coffee  but it was the experience that counts. Maybe if I drank this type of coffee I'd grow a bit taller.  See how puny I am.  
That's Bill, Jackie, myself and Joe trying this civet cat poop coffee. It tasted rather smooth but a bit too expensive for my ordinary taste. Thanks Nicole for the experience.

James and Daniel love their alphabet and numbers gifts, Daniel knows his numbers but refuses to say seven, maybe because it has two syllables.

Mira chose to sit down and drink the Kopi Luwak coffee.  She's a good sport.

We ate the big Christmas meal and went directly to the present game while we digested the yummy feast. The present game is starting and George is the one calling the cards, Notice the table full of small gifts. My great grandson Cyprus is getting right into the fun.

Everyone is waiting their turn to have their card called so they can go chose a gift.

Even the little kids are playing the game but have alphabets instead of cards. James knows his alphabet and he wins from a pile of gifts for kiddies.

Jackie is choosing a gift while Cyprus looks at me.

Poor Cyprus, spilled some juice all over his shirt before the present game.

Those beautiful golden locks belongs to Jordyn, Cyprus's mother.

It's time to disassemble the race track and train track  without breaking anything for the long trip home.....

Of course the traditional post Christmas puzzle. An Audubon bird puzzle. Thanks jackie...

Christmas was relaxed, full of laughter and fun and best off all, family. Nicole we missed you this year but I'm glad we didn't had to worry about you making your flight to Toronto and then over the Atlantic like last year. That was brutal.

Thanks for visiting and leaving a comment. They show that you care enough to bother.
JB