Playing a game

 

Baby boy

 

Placecard

 

Real baby doll

 

Raspberry swirl

 

Stuffed tenderloin

I tried stuffing a pork loin for  Christmas Eve. Here it is, stuffed, seared and ready for the oven.

 

Snowflake

 

Merry Christmas Eve

 

Purple

 

Grainery wreath

 

Naomi made this wreath for the grainery.

Cream puffs

 

Morning

 

Dinner

 

Snowy morning

 

Sleeping baby

 

Wrapping

 

Snowflake

 

Made by Naomi

Decorations

 

White

 

Orange

 

Dishes

 

I brought back sickness from our trip to Canada in November, and have been slowly recovering. In the midst of fever, congestion and fatigue, the situation became desperate when I realized I had no clean mugs left (and it wasn't because I lack for mugs). 

I managed to muster enough energy to load the dishwasher and a subsequent crisis was adverted.

Morning view

 

This past week as the darkness has crept in, I've been thankful that I work from home and don't have to drive to and from work in the dark every day. 

Mother and child

 

Wreath on my door

 

Baby

 

Light and shadows

 

Flowers

 

More wreaths

 

I've been making more wreaths to sell at our road-side stand.

White

 

(from back in November)

Bakery bliss

 

During our recent trip to Canada, we took full advantage of the bakeries near where we were staying. 

Over the course of the four days we were on the other side of the border, we visited each of our top three bakeries twice in addition to obligatory stops at Tim Hortons. 

• Willow Cakes and Pastries, Niagara-on-the-Lake
• The cake and pastries (pictured above) were delightful
• JC Patissier, Thorold
• A little shop just minutes from our Airbnb where we picked up croissants and quiche; on our second trip we were too late to nab an Opera Cake (something we've seen on cooking shows but never tried)
• COBS Bread, St. Catherine's
• Brian gave the jalapeño bread, rolls and cinnamon rolls rave reviews; David was a fan of the sourdough

Beautiful places

Atlantic Ocean, Hilton Head, South Carolina

Lake Superior, Point Iroquois Lighthouse, Brimley, Michigan

Pacific Ocean, Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada

I was looking back through my photos and felt overwhelmingly blessed that I could visit so many spectacular places this past year. 

Table

 

Bean

 

Red

 

Fire

 

Hide n seek

 

Sun goes down

 

Wreath

 

Pottery

 

I've been taking a pottery class this fall and have managed to throw some semblance of a cylinder on the wheel. 

Colors

 

Time travel

 

While touring the St. Catherines Museum and Welland Canal Centre, Libby joined this group of girls who appear to be looking at their phones. 

Little girl

 

White

 

Project

 

I'm pretty pleased with my latest house project.

After the falls

 

Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada