Saved by the grands

December has been a rough month.

Three weeks ago on a Wednesday, everything was very icy outside. We were in the middle of a cold front such as hadn't been seen in decades, so outside water pipes were vulnerable to damage. I ventured into the front yard, resplendent in my pink fuzzy robe, to check on the sprinkler system controls, which have been known to spring leaks in extremely cold weather. I chuckled to myself when I saw the neighbour lady in her robe, cleaning the ice off her car. 

When I went back into the house, I decided that the compost tub was a wee bit smelly, so I crept carefully out the back door, over the deck towards the veggie garden, and WHAM! slipped off the icy step and went sprawling on the grass. I thought maybe my leg was broken again, but after letting loose with a few choice words over my stupidity and hobbling back into the house, I decided it was probably a bad sprain. It slowed me down for a few days, in fact I am still limping, but improving steadily.

A week later, Jeff and I both came down with what we think is the flu. Days of fever and coughing and general malaise have sapped our energy and put us into survival mode. 

So, when Jeff dragged the tree out of the shed earlier this week and discovered that quite a few of the lights didn't work, we lost enthusiasm. 

And the tree sat by the front window all week, unlit and unloved and undecorated. 

Tonight, Bethany arrived with the five kids in tow for piano lessons.

Kenzie, who is her mother's daughter, immediately wanted to know if she could help decorate the tree.

And decorate she did.

Natalie gleefully helped.

And, by golly, I even started to have fun. So that tree is now covered in its usual denizens of the woodland habitat, all glowing and welcoming and happy.

I love how it looks without the camera flash, but then the people are blurry.

Now the people look better but the tree is not as magical.

I love these kids.

Three of them have December birthdays!

Natalie set up all the animals with the nativity.

I like it.

Now I think I can welcome Christmas.