Good day to all our loyal and eager fisher people! It is Dec 23, 2022 and things are getting real….you have just 2 days of shopping until the main event and what are you doing???? You are sitting there reading a blog that has zero to do with anything. Read on my friend, read on! You have lots of time left lol
It is so super cold here in Lloydminster….We are still in an extreme cold warning, it seems like the entire month so far had been extremely cold! Kids were supposed to do the last day of school today but buses were cancelled and I don’t do ”drive me to school” when my truck isn’t warm in the garage, so we all slept in. Matt is off today until the New year and I booked off work until Jan 3.
Why is your truck parked outside dan?? Because fellow reader, thank you for asking…our snow machines are parked inside so Matt could wire up our heated helmets. Heated helmets?? Because we are heading North for Christmas and will be at the cabin tomorrow night!!! Leaving tomorrow morning and should be in by 5pm with a fire going. It will take a bit to get the cabin warm but we will but all nice and cozy for the next 10 days. Sledding, skating, snowshoeing, fishing and lots of fun family stuff over the holidays. This is our first Christmas up at the cabin so it will be the footprint for all our Christmas Day memories to come. The kids are so excited to be at the cabin and to have uninterrupted time together.
We don’t go all in for gifts at Christmas…we have really scaled back over the years and rely heavily on experiences and creating memories together. It all started in 2019 when we went to Jamaica and now we just had our second annual Christmas Extravaganza!!!! What is the Christmas Extravaganza you ask?? This year was very similar to last year, but we spend the weekend in Edmonton AB. at a hotel that has a great pool first off. Freja is an avid swimmer and is on a swim team, so a pool is a must! Plus a pool occupies down time. We had supper at a fancy restaurant…we all dressed up and spent like 2 hrs eating fine foods. My dad (RIP) always thought it was important for us girls to experience fine dining, to hone our manners and to feel comfortable in a luxury situation. There is nothing I love more than spending a couple hours drinking wine, eating great food, visiting, laughing and enjoying an atmosphere. I hate the mad dash of in/out restaurants…and want to savour what an actual chef has created. Anyways, we had and 8pm sitting and enjoyed every last morsel of food…the kids didnt entirely appreciate their fancy drinks, but again did so well in a fancy environment. We are not bougie people by any means, but enjoy a touch of luxury every now and again. Up next was an afternoon Oilers game on the Saturday…2pm puck drop! I ordered us up some car service and the kids were blown away…first time for a limo so it was an extra experience. Car service allows us parents to enjoy a few beverages during the game, we didn’t have to worry about parking, winter coats, or freezing! The game was great, we had decent tickets but the Oilers didn’t perform their best and lost to the Anaheim Ducks. The kids especially love a hockey game, the atmosphere of Rogers Place and everything about being there. Freja and I were on TV and on the jumbotron 2x…she was ecstatic!! Even her little friend back in Lloyd saw us on TV, which was extra special for her. Back to the hotel to drop our stuff then off for a quick bite to eat then a couple rounds of bowling!!! We stay in St Albert, which is just off Edmonton but has everything within reach. We walked from the hotel to the bowling alley and spent a couple hours laughing and rolling. I won. Lol. Evening swim after that then hit the hay. Up early to check out, and on to a brunch dinner theatre at the Mayfield. We saw a show called Vegas Live…which was fabulous!! We have done other theatres previously but the atmosphere at the Mayfield is unbelievable. We enjoyed a delicious buffet when we arrived prior to the show. breakfast and prime rib…what more could you ask for! The kids enjoyed the buffet, picking out their favorite foods and eating an unlimited amount. After the show we hit the road for home. The kids were exhausted and we all had an early night before starting the week on Monday.
I highly recommend experiences versus gifts. Gifts always end up being lost in the shuffle eventually, but a memory carries with them for life. I know at some point some things are forgotten, but the fun in the moment, the laughs and the smiles are what counts. Plus, I am one of the funnest people on the planet! Lol
So, today we are packing and getting ready to roll North in the morning. We are taking both trucks as we have 2 kids and 2 dogs and a ton of shit to take with. Matt will haul the sleds and take both dogs (so I was told this morning) and I get both kids. I think he is faring better than me, but such is life. A big box of dry goods, a fridge cooler and a frozen cooler and then all the extras. Most things have to ride inside so they are not frozen solid when we get there. Beer should not freeze lol and there is certainly enough of that going. I have a couple stops today to pick up odds and ends and to see nana but all the laundry is done and we are ready to rock! I cooked a turkey this week with all the trimmings and have it frozen down to drop on the smoker Christmas Day. The weather is very cold when we arrive but once the wood stove is going the cabin will be tolerable within about 4-6hrs. The following days warm up slowly but we are no strangers to being outside in -30. Stay tuned, because I will be blogging almost daily when we are in camp! This will be my first lone snowmobiling experience…I have always been the passenger. Freja will now be my passenger and I plan to put some miles on for lots of practice! Wish me luck!
WE hope you ALL have a wonderful holiday season, surrounded by the ones you love and hold dear in your life. Be kind and generous to each other because in the end that is all that matters. Stay warm and stay safe and if your not outside at some point, you should be.
Lots of love and Christmas wishes from all of us to all of you.
Cheers,
Danica, Matt, Milo & Freja
and of course…Timber and BARK!!!