Cloverdale Rodeo 2013

April 17, 2013 by Leave a Comment

cloverdale rodeo

The 67th annual Cloverdale Rodeo and 125th Country Fair invites you to “get back to country” this May long weekend, May 17-20, 2013. With just one month to go, it’s time to pull on those boots, saddle up, and get ready to hit the dusty trail to Cloverdale for some of the best entertainment around.

For the first time, the Cloverdale Rodeo and Country Fair is offering free admission for kids aged 12-and-under to all Rodeo Performances as well as to the Country Fair grounds, making this event more affordable for families than ever. Also, all guests can save $2 on Grounds Admission when they buy at select London Drugs and Big O Tire stores, and save $2 on a combination of Rodeo and Grounds Admission online.

At the Country Fair, presented by Coast Capital Savings, savour the mouthwatering flavours of the Cloverdale Cowboy Cookoff BBQ Competition and Rib Fest. This first event of its kind in Canada combines traditional Southern-style BBQ Competition with Rib Fest, for one delicious event you won’t want to miss. Also, check out the 2nd annual World Freestyle Round-Up Skateboard Championships, returning to Cloverdale with its impressive pool of international athletes, like Spain’s Kilian Martin and USA’s Darryl Grogan.

Don’t miss a fun-filled lineup of entertainment in the Kidz Zone as Judi the Manners Lady takes the stage. Explore over 18,000 square feet of games, interactive displays, songs, dance, art and endless fun. Outside the Kidz Zone, youth aged 10-16 are invited to experience the new Cone Zone Go-Kart ride, where they’ll drive around a large track complete with real-world hazards like trucks, cranes and roadside workers.

Test your own endurance as you take a spin around BC’s largest travelling midway, and after the sun goes down, stay to enjoy live entertainment in the famous Longhorn Saloon, with nightly performances by The Ken McCoy Band and Dr. Strangelove. Also catch incredible performances on the Mainland Group Outdoor Stage all weekend long. There’s also something new for teens at the Country Fair: the new Youth Live Band Stage, where teens can enjoy free-with-admission evening entertainment from some of the Fraser Valley’s top up-and-coming bands and DJ’s.

Event:                        2013 Cloverdale Rodeo and Country Fair
Dates:                         May 17-20, 2013
Location:                Cloverdale Fairgrounds in Surrey, BC
Tickets:                    Grounds Admission                $12*
                                        Rodeo Performances              $20
                                        Kids 12 & under                      FREE Rodeo and Ground Admission
                                                                                                 (Must be accompanied by an adult)

*Save $2 on Grounds Admission at select London Drugs and Big O Tires stores
*Save $2 on a combination of Rodeo and Country Fair tickets online
*Save $11 on Midway ride wristbands at select Mac’s and IGA Stores

For a detailed schedule of events, performances, competitors list, and to purchase tickets visit www.CloverdaleRodeo.com.

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Did You Survive Spring Break?

April 5, 2013 by Leave a Comment

Surprisingly, we did.  Or more surprisingly, I survived Spring Break.

Like many families, we had no big vacation plans.   I had to keep up my own projects and Patrick was business as usual at his work.  But that didn’t mean that I just ignored the kids and left them to their own devices.  I think we managed to mix it up quite nicely without blowing the budget.   Many days, we managed to mix business and pleasure.  For example, a trip to the accountant turned into a trip to Granville Island.

New West Quay

windy day at NW quay

 

The weather was so so the first week….(.WHY two weeks….WHY!!!!???), but we headed out to New Westminster Quay to stroll in the wind.  Rather I and my mom strolled, and the kids roller bladed, scootered and tricycled.

Sad Bronze medalistOne day, while Tara and I attended meetings downtown, Nana took Caity and Adam to explore around the convention centre.  There was apparently much to see.

Residents of the Salish Sea

Sidney Residents

Max and Gramps

We also did a day trip over to the island to check in on my Grandfather.   A ferry ride is always fun, and Sidney is a lovely seaside town, with great little beaches, walks, stores and restaurants.  They also have the Discovery Centre – a small aquarium that celebrates the Salish Sea and all its residents and one of the kids favourite annual visits.

It was tiring and noisy.  Three kids are loud.   Well mine are, anyway.   There was not a lot of creative or constructive writing done, nor were any major projects thoroughly tackled.   But I really fought HARD at not sweating it and just doing what I could and making sure my kids had my attention when we needed it.

The kids have now survived their first week back at school and the Easter Chocolate is all eaten, so for now, it is back to the routine and I suppose no excuse (apart from Tara) for getting things done.

I shouldn’t dis  Tara.  She has been amazing this week. TWICE…..yes, twice we have had to truck down town to the Passport office and we all know that that is not even fun for an adult.  But armed with a bag full of My Little Ponies, she was an awesome companion.

Onward……

 

 

 

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Running a Family is like Running a Business

March 4, 2013 by Leave a Comment

Group Of Friends. 3d Rendered Illustration by cooldesign

I have many clients who are involved in family businesses or who are consultants for family businesses. One question that is raised often is how do you create harmony when dealing with so many different personalities? I would like to address this issue today for all families, not just those in family business. Let’s face it; the “business” of running a family is not much different than the business of running a company.

First of all there needs to be clear leadership. A boss if you will. In my family growing up, that was my Father. That is not to say that my Mom wasn’t in charge most days. She absolutely was but when the buck needed to stop when the “you know what” hit the fan, my Dad was the top dog. It doesn’t matter who the leader is, Mom or Dad, but the family needs to know the hierarchy. Parents can and should be in cahoots about the rules of the house. There should be no confusion about what is allowed. Children will play you like a fiddle if they smell dissension in the ranks.

Many divorced couples have this problem when it comes to their kids. As in business, when the leadership crumbles so does the foundation of the values and the structure of the family. When this happens children start to push their boundaries. Everything from what they will eat to when they come in at night will be in question. When each parent creates their own set of rules, so starts the uphill battle of trying to please everyone. It is really valuable for divorced parents to agree to, and uphold, common rules they have formed for their children.

What is your family “code”? Corporations appreciate the value of a mission statement. It can keep people focused on the mandate of the business at its core. You can create one for your family. My family is from Scottish decent so we have a crest with a mission statement on it that goes back many generations. It simply states “Mean Well, Speak Well, Do Well.” That is the statement I grew up trying my best to live by. It helped me understand right out of the gate what was expected of me.

Understanding what makes each person tick is valuable information when trying to create harmony in one’s family. A fun exercise is to have everyone in the family design a dream board. This allows each participant to feel free to express their dreams, desires and goals independently and then share them later. At that point, you will see what the other members of the family want and can talk about how you can create a plan to incorporate and/or strive for each other’s dreams. There may be things that your children and or your spouse can’t voice that are really important to them. They can use their dream board as a non-judgemental playground for their thoughts. Anyone who can cut and paste pictures or words can participate in this.

Find out what the values of each member of your family are. If your children’s aren’t the same as yours, and they most likely won’t be, that’s ok.  They are thinking independently. Understanding what their values are will help you to understand what is important to them. It will become clearer why your son loves playing the piano instead of hockey. Perhaps his top values are creativity and expression.

Pay attention to the continuous evolution of your family. If you hold on too tightly to the “way it was”, you will choke the life out of future growth and miss all the good stuff that wants to happen.

Just like in business, the family has to change to succeed.

Caird Urquhart

 

Caird Urquhart is Founder and President of Newroad Coaching, a boutique coaching firm providing one-on-one personal and business coaching services. She is also author of 30 Ways To Better Days: How to Rally After You’ve Been Dumped. Find Newroad Coaching on their blog and on Twitter and YouTube.

 

 

 

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2012 Honda Odyssey – King of Mini-vans

September 21, 2012 by Leave a Comment

When our family was expanding to three we resignedly agreed it was time for a mini-van.  Off to the dealership we went, with our notes in hand and dutifully we poured over the features of said ‘people-movers’ but our hearts were not in it.  Not yet.  Instead, our eyes slid over to the used section of the dealership and our eyes fell on a lovely 2005 Chrysler Pacifica.  This was not a car I was familiar with – a crossover – we loved the space AND style.  We are still driving it today.

However, the Pacifica is not perfect and if we were in the market, we would no doubt be shopping for a mini van and the mini van that gets rated one of the best over and over is the Honda Odyssey.   I had the pleasure of testing the 2012 Touring edition this summer and the family loved it.  This is a mini van that drives like a car but gives you space and luxury as well as great fuel economy.  This car is made to move people in style.  I think the only negatives I heard during our test drive was from the dogs who were confused by the sunken cargo space in the back.
Room for everything you need including dogs
There are honestly too many cool features to mention in one short review.  Honda has loaded this van with everything it could think of when it comes to safety, practicality and comfort.  For those with kids still in car seats and boosters, the Odyssey has FIVE Latch placements, with 3 available in the middle and 2 in the rear.  I had Tara way in the back for a bit and had no problem getting her in there.  The middle row of seats is so versatile that you can remove the centre seat/console entirely and move the remaining seats to either side to make rear entrance even easier.

2012 Odyssey from the back

With children still in mind, the touch sensitive auto slide doors as well as the rear hatch made me breath easier.  Trying to wrangle multiple kids, animals and groceries has me tending to miss their impulsive leaps towards moving doors.  Thank you, Honda for allowing me to breathe a bit easier with features like this.  The Odyssey does give you the option of manual or auto for the sliding doors.  Why you would want this option, I cannot fathom, as Honda has done everything it can to think of easing you and your passenger’s minds while traveling.   The kids were in love with the wide screen DVD player and wireless headsets.  The Odyssey is also wired for other platforms that can be viewed at the same time as the screen can split into two.  I had to be firm when telling them to NOT hook up the Xbox in the van for a trip to Aldergrove.  They also loved the air conditioning and their ability to control it themselves easily.   Another feature that overjoyed them was the built in sun screens on the rear windows.  They had NOTHING to complain about.
Car seat in the rear no problem
Honda has not forgotten the driver when it comes to the Odyssey.  I never felt like I was driving anything longer than a car or bulkier than a sedan.   It moves very easily and has plenty of power courtesy of the  3.5 litre, 24 valve, i-VTEC V6 Engine, making this mini van remarkably easy on the gas.  With its noise cancellation technology and acoustic windshield, this is a quiet ride for all.  The rear view cameras are great as is the blind spot information system (BSI).  The Odyssey is as hands free as it can get, but also comes with access to almost everything on the wheel.  It also remembers the drivers seating preferences and mirror settings too, great for two drivers.  The navigation set up is okay, though I prefer Fords’ version of this.  My husband loved Honda’s music system and had a lot of fun navigating through his large iPod collection on board the Odyssey.
photo 3
I could go on and on.  This is an effortless and luxurious vehicle to travel in.  The Touring version has everything you could want in a high-end mini van.  The one we were driving is about $48000.  The base model, the LX starts at $32000.  I haven’t tried many other mini-vans, as in all honesty I really wanted to AVOID them, but I did try the Dodge Caravan years ago and would like to do so again to compare and also the next top contender, the Toyota Sienna.   The Dodge Grand Caravan, base model I tried wasn’t that bad at all, in fact I was pleasantly surprised at how easy it was to drive and park with NO rear sensors or cameras.  However, I can’t imagine choosing a Dodge over the Odyssey.  This is the KING of mini-vans.

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The Great Outdoors

August 24, 2012 by Leave a Comment

Hope Slide
Summer is drawing to a close, and after a harrowing day at the Great Vancouver Zoo today, I think I can say I am officially done with the whole ‘we are creating memories or else, dammit’ thing and am ready for school to begin. The one thing I am glad we managed to do was survive and enjoy a family camping trip to Manning Park.

oooh aaaah

We managed this thanks to having a lovely Honda Pilot to review and I will be posting that later on.  The Pilot allowed our family to travel in great comfort with little complaint from the children, and it held all our stuff.   Almost all our stuff – we decided to leave the dogs in the care of The Beloved Dog.  No room and fear of losing the dogs at the campground made us feel that this was a wise decision.

All set for camping!

Camping with children is a lot different from the ‘good old days,’ in which camping consisted of the odd hike, books, naps and beers.  It didn’t help that we were camping with friends who also have kids but who we also used to camp with prior to children. We tended to reminisce a bit too much round the campfire at night.  The kids thought we were losers.

However two campsites close by both filled with kids who know and like each other worked out great.  The kids were happy running from one site to the other, and we could give the other adults a moment of peace by having all the kids at one site at a time.  I had packed a ‘craft’ bag too, filled with crayons, stickers, and notebooks which worked out great whenever we heard the rumblings of ‘we’re bored’ start.

craft time

Lightning Lake campground is a great family site.   We were right by the solar powered, auto flushing toilets and showers.   The place even had an outside double sink that everyone used for dishes.  No boiling pots of water for washing up for us.  We were also by the amphitheatre and the trail down to the lake.   The amphitheatre was sadly just a fun place to play, since they didn’t seem to be doing any of the ranger talks while we were there.

I have never been to Manning when the lake was warm enough to swim in. This totally boggled me, and I had not brought the kids their bathing suits.  This did not stop them though.  It rocked that our friends had brought an amazing inflatable kayak too.  The kids had a blast cruising around the lake in it.  So much so, that later on we rented a big canoe for the whole family.

Patricks & Caity Kayaking

I was pretty impressed with my kids (and myself for that matter).   We all survived with no tech for the entire time.   It was good for all of us to be liberated from the choke hold that the internet has on this family sometimes.  I had told the kids that they could bring their DS’s if they wanted to, but they did not, instead they came armed with books and their crazy imaginations.  Their imaginations kept them all relatively occupied with very little whining.  A big win in my book.

We all returned feeling better for the adventure.    I realize that it was just a family camping trip, but getting the whole family (hubs included) out together for a real break is a big deal to us.  My husband works hard and doesn’t take a lot of time off, so any time we are all together is really special.    Now I just have to keep it together until school starts.

more munching friends

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The Odd Life of Timothy Green – Giveaway

July 17, 2012 by 6 Comments

Academy Award nominated writer, director Peter Hedges (Gilbert Grape) brings enchantment to the screen with Disney’s ‘The Odd Life of Timothy Green’ A magical story about a married couple who can’t wait to start a family but can only dream about what their child would be like. During a dark and stormy night, Timothy arrives on their doorstep. Cindy and Jim learn that sometimes the unexpected can bring some of life’s greatest gifts.

The kids and I are really looking forward to this film. I actually love that my bloodthirsty children want to see a gentle movie about magic and love and family. I would love it if you could see it too.

I have for a giveaway, 1 family pass for 4 to see THE ODD LIFE OF TIMOTHY GREEN in Vancouver. The screening takes place on Thursday, August 9th at 7:30 PM at SilverCity Metropolis in Burnaby.

 

To enter, comment below about why a little magic in our lives is important. You have until August 6th, when I will draw a winner.

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Time for Family

April 23, 2012 by 1 Comment

This weekend was my hubs birthday. The big idea person in me had planned a getaway to the Opus hotel overnight for us….the dream of a child free night danced in our head.

Then reality slipped in. Sneaky sneaky reality. The kids had been….em ….difficult, to put it nicely. By Friday we were feeling beaten down. We also wanted to remain true to our rules of engagement and punishments. We felt we needed to stick around a bit more. There went THOSE plans. We did however stick to our plan of at least getting out for a meal together, which we did…and home by ten. We ARE excitement.

I think the kids appreciated it too and  hubs seemed to enjoy the domestic bliss we created by hanging out at home. We puttered, we walked dogs and we lazed in the sun. I gotta admit, that I love that my kids want to be with us ALL THE TIME. My nine year old son was content to lay jumbled in my legs while we chitchatted and soaked up the vitamin d.

zia sunshine

We cleaned up our back yard a bit…am hoping what we did will convince Zia to poop outside.  She doesn’t seem big on that idea and prefers Adams room.  Since that is a big EWWW we have doors barricaded and baby gates up to help her figure it out.

mulch

Our evening together was a welcome break. I love how Patrick and I can chit chat about anything.  I love having big discussions about any topic….I love that we can laugh together.  It was a great date night.

It was made better by only have Tara and the dogs to worry about.  Adam headed to a sleepover and Nana took Caity with her…made for a quiet night and easy morning.

Here’s hoping our family togetherness helps out the kids.  They have seemed so angry lately and we need to fix that.  Tara we can’t fix. She was just pissed that it wasn’t her birthday…to the point where she wouldn’t wish her dad Happy Birthday and kept searching for her presents.  Being that her birthday doesn’t till July, after her siblings birthdays, it is going to be a long summer.

presents

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Poke the Crazy People with a Stick

March 31, 2012 by 1 Comment

So today was an interesting day. We put the review model of the Ford Edge through it’s paces today.  We drove in rain, wind, highway’s and rocky mountain trails….all in one day.

I also realized that what I just ‘do’ is too much for some people and probably borderline crazy.

Like today.  We drove to Chilliwack with the dog so we could be a part of my nephew’s third birthday party.  I felt it was better to bring her as she is too young to be in a crate for anything over an hour.  However….it was raining.   It was raining a lot.  For me this meant getting the kids sorted at the party place with their dad and heading out into the rain with a freaking out dog.    This  then meant putting back a soaking wet and reluctant dog back into a small crate in the car and attending the bouncy castle birthday party.

And then going back out again to make sure she was okay.

My sister in law laughed at me.

And then……and then :)

We followed interesting directions to visit a woman who looks after and adopts out Desi Dogs.  Up am mountain, in the pouring rain, somewhere near Abbotsford.  It was quite the little drive.  When we arrived we watched this woman in the distance open up a gate and watch a pack of dogs bounding up to us.  For some this might be a tad nerve wracking.

As I stood there in the pouring rain, while we chatted with the woman about the dogs and their temperaments.   We were surrounded by happy excited dogs..including Lily who was THRILLED to play with new friends, I realized how much I have become a dog person.

I have totally come a dog person.  From a full  on cat person…I was totally comfortable surrounded by crazy dogs.  Not only was I comfortable, but I was comfortable with my family being surrounded by them too.

Desi Dogs are amazing by the way.  Also known as INdog or Pariah Dog, they are a ‘natural’ breed compared to a human selected bred dog.  They have been dated in origins back to 12,000 years.  They are of the same type of origins as the Australian Dingo.   Their ‘purity’ is under attack though by breeding with  stray western breeds.  It is amazing the difference between a ‘natural’ dog and say a cross bred dog.    They are a joy to behold.

I did not see today as a hassle.  I did not see worrying about Lily as a problem, it was just one more thing I had to think about.  She is family and it is therefore not a bother.

People judge us for being a bit over the top with pets – we currently have the lizard, 3 cats and Lily – on top of the three children.  People ask me how I manage that and all my projects.  Well, I just do.  It is my life.  It isn’t necessarily pretty, nor terribly clean, nor terribly organized.   But I kind of like it.

Sure I would love more space to breath in.  Sure some more money to support all these hangers on would be good.  That is why I work so hard at my SAHMedia projects and Crunchy Carpets.   But in the mean time, I am at peace with it all.

People do seem to think it is either pets or kids.   For a simpler life, either is good.  For a cheaper life, either is good.  But we love our pets and we love our kids growing up around pets.  Perhaps it stems from being an only child.  We had a cat, but life was  quiet for me as a child.  I suppose this chaos makes up for it.  I am never alone.  There is always a child, husband or pet who wants some one on one time with me.    I reckon I must have a strong need to be needed.

I think my family style does make it hard for people to pigeon hole me.  We are tough to market too when we have an almost ten year old boy at one end and an almost preschooler at the other end.  I don’t spend my days in preschooler groups.  I don’t ferry my kids to sports.   I find it hard to find families that we can hang with that pleases everyone.

They love to read, watch movies, play outside and hang together with friends to play video games.   Life is loud here.   It might not be ‘correct’ in some people’s books.  We eat the wrong foods and we let the kids watch the wrong TV.  But despite them making my hair gray, I think they they are all pretty swell.

*UPDATE* Laughing at myself as I went to bed without sharing what really finished the day for crazy.  Picture Tara standing naked in the Walnut Grove McDonald’s washroom change table as I wiped  the INSANE amount of poop that was covering her body with wet wipes.

She has a bit of a bug or something and it is causing hideous runny and sticky poops.  We had been a bit concerned for the day but being that she isn’t acting sick, we went for it.  She did one manageable poop at the party and was changed and I still can’t believe we didn’t SMELL her in the car.  I didn’t realize the scope of the horror till I realized her pants were covered in it.  Then, as she lay there, I could see it up on her coat and everywhere else.   Thank goodness I had pants in my purse…but her spare shirt was in the car.  Out she went to have her treats with the rest of the family sans shirt while I headed to search the car.   :)

 

 

 

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Crib Histories

January 20, 2012 by 2 Comments

Tara is now two and a half.   Time to shop for a big girl bed. We are looking at bunk beds to help with the tight confines of the room she shares with her big sister. But (I suppose) this time the crib won’t be disassembled and stored away until “next time.”  There won’t be a next time, and that is a bit wistful.  A little bit sad.

The crib has been great.  A real solid piece of furniture that has done us well through three babies.   That despite us breaking all the ‘safety’ rules when it comes to buying a crib.   We found this one at a YARD SALE!    Whilst shopping at the kids flea market at the Kitsilano Community Centre, stocking up for the soon to arrive Adam, we popped by a yard sale over on Arbutus and King Edward.   It was a moving sale….the family was returning to Hong Kong after only a few months.  The crib stood in the corner of their garage and looked shiny and new.   It had hardly been touched by their tiny baby.

So despite us not knowing the brand, provenance or retail value of the crib, we bought it.   We still don’t know who made it.  The crib is a blank slate….a mystery.  A mystery that has proved to obviously be one of the better brands of cribs due to the sturdiness of the make, the ease of assembly, and despite having one of those dreaded drop sides.  The side takes a SUPERMAN to get it to actually slide down.

I still remember the fun I had getting all the bedding ready and decorating around the crib for Adam.  We didn’t have a nursery and had the crib set up in a corner of our bedroom at our old apartment.   I found wall decals and a toy net for his stuffies, and his bedding was a mix of new, old and found.     It sat there all ready….waiting for him to arrive.  A symbol of what was to come….a hint of the future after the giant preggo belly.

My mom has three little photo albums that chronicle the first year’s of each child.   It also chronicles the growth of a woman who was totally naive about motherhood, and maternity fashions….why did I keep wearing coveralls!???   I like to think that with each kid I gained at least a little wisdom about parenting, mothering and fashion.

The crib has seen three houses and three babies.  I think it is time for it and myself to say we are done with that part of our lives.    Time to embrace our future, and be ready to handle yet another toddler turning into a strong willed creature, happily following in the footsteps of her siblings.

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Christmas Dreams

December 27, 2011 by 1 Comment

The other day, my mom showed me a lovely cocktail dress that she really coveted from Laura.  She sighed and said ‘if only I had a place to wear such a nice dress.’

I felt her pain.  She is retired and so there are no more office Christmas events to get all gussied up for.  Family offers little too.  Our family doesn’t merge with the extended relatives anymore over the holidays, so Christmas these years is at my home and well….ok with three kids, subdued is not the write word, but you get what I mean.

I suddenly had a GREAT idea.  What if we really pushed the boat out this year?  What if we all bought lovely Christmas outfits and went OUT for Christmas dinner.  Yeah!!! We could book at one of the gorgeous hotels for their dinner packages.  Have a lovely formal family dinner.  It would be lovely.   I imagined Caitlyn and Tara in beautiful velvet frocks, Adam wearing a little suit and Husband looking his formal best.   How fun this would be for our little family I thought.   Not to mention getting out of cooking and dishes for Christmas!  For one year we could at least FAKE a Martha Stewart Christmas.  For one year we could ignore our dog and cat stained house and embrace the glitter and magic of Christmas like it is on television.

The Dream

Then I remembered.  I remembered that very morning. A treat for us…breakfast at McDonalds with Tara.  We couldn’t even rise up to the civility of fast food as Tara’s McMuffin ended up mostly on the floor.   My children are savages.   Eating out with them is like asking Chimpanzees to tea.  It can be HORRIFYING. We spend more time apologizing to waiters and surrounding customers who have had the misfortune of watching Tara eat while the others bicker.  Caitlyn loves to dress up but at the same time, with her wild hair, attracts dirt from every direction, and subsequently lives with permanent dirt smudges across her pretty face.   On some days I wait for Child Services to show up asking why I neglect my kids.   As I type, Tara –the two year old – has four shirts pulled on as dresses and tops….no pants though.

Closer to the truth

 

photo credit for Depression Family:  Walker Evans / Library of Congress

We are not a formal family….mom and I have always dreamed ‘above our station,’ as the old British saying goes, but who are we kidding.  Christmas now means ignoring the dirt and chaos and focusing on the wine and sparkly lights. This year, despite hideous coughs that have afflicted our family over the holidays, we had a really nice time.  It was laid back..the kids were happy….they seemed to embrace the magic and enjoy every moment.  I totally impressed my self by squeezing EVERYONE around our table for dinner.  No velvet frocks…but much laughter and good food.

I hope everyone had a very merry Christmas!

 


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