Cold December Days - Still

I thought we moved from Saskatchewan to escape the bitterly cold winters. Alberta gets it's share of snow but we haven't had a cold snap that lasted this long since we moved here. It has been so very cold; so cold that school was cancelled on Monday - okay, I may have had something to say about that - lol. It was fabulous though. Natalie, from across the street, and her little girl Sophie came over for a play date. Jaret enjoyed having Sophie come over to play and it helped pass the day and being couped up inside. In the afternoon, Jaret napped and I put my feet up to finish reading a book. It was so fantastic to just relax. After Jaret awoke from his nap, we decorated a gingerbread house together. It turned out as well as a gingerbread house can turn out without having all the special tools to apply icing with neat and clean lines.
As the week wore on, so did the cold. It made it difficult to want to go out anywhere, but there were places to be. Wednesday night Terry worked late and so Jaret and I went out to Airdrie to my friend Deanna's house. She was having her annual Christmas party. Jaret enjoyed playing with the other kids there and we discovered his love for shortbread cookies - or white cookies as he calls them. Then Thursday night Terry and Jaret stayed home and I attended our school's Christmas Concert. It was so great - the kids did a wonderful job! Jaret had been fighting a touch of the flu off and on all week and wouldn't you know, as I was out at the concert, Terry had to deal with another little bit of Jaret being sick. I think he is over it now but every now and then he will say, "I'm not feeling so good." He will then proceed to go find the garbage can we use and ensure it is close by. Thankfully, he seems to be fine. We're hoping that he is fine and that none of us are sick over Christmas.
Saturday we all got out and finished our Christmas shopping. We even got things wrapped on Saturday night as Amy Grant's Christmas Album played in the background. It really felt like Christmas! Tonight we are on our way to Mark and Shea's to have a Christmas meal with them and so that the boys can exchange gifts. Jaret knew he needed to nap this afternoon and decided the best place to do that would be in the front closet where we store his toys. So, he settled in, but did not fall asleep. He has now been transfered upstairs to the bedroom with hopes he will still have a nap.
That's really all for now. I may get one more post in before we travel to Saskatchewan to be with family and friends at Christmas, if not, then be sure that I will have lots of pictures to post when we return!
Pictures:
-Despite how uncertain they look together, Jaret and Sophie really do enjoy one another's company.
-Jaret watching a special message from Santa on the computer.
-Gingerbread house decorating.
-Jaret with his Advent calendar.
-Jaret trying to settle in for a nap in the closet.