My 2005 Christmas Letter

It's that time of year again. Is it me or does it seem that as soon as we are done putting away the tree and Christmas decorations, we have to take them out again? Ok, I realize that there is a summer squeezed in between but it zooms by like that lone fly you can never catch.

This past summer, Chris, Cléo and I went out west to see the family. It was a first for Chris as he hadn't yet met some of my family or seen anything of western Canada. I believe Chris made a good impression with my family. The very first day we arrived, when we were gathered at mom and Ben's for supper with Nicole and her family, Chris surprised everyone including me by getting on bended knee and proposing to me. YES YOU HEARD IT RIGHT! My parent's OLDEST daughter is FINALLY getting married! I said YES by the way. (PSST... Dad, you can put the shotgun away).
This coming January Chris starts a new position as a supervisor at the pharmaceutical company where he works. Once he starts we will be better able to chose a wedding date. If all works out I would love June 9th. It is the date my grandparents married. They adored eachother till death. It is also the date my (divorced) parents married. They will have OTHER unadoring feelings till death. So I figure it skips a generation.

We had a great week spend in Cochrane with mom, Ben, Nicole, Wade, Tess and Hayden. Many a photo was taken during our different activities. I think my favorite is the one of my loving sister Nicole giving me the finger...oops I mean adjusting her glasses. Oh but I also love the few shaky ones I took of the mountains in Banff as we took the Gondola to the mountain top. Shaky why? Well as I had to unweld one of my cold damp hands from the side bar, in the flimsy, almost totally windowed, death trap of a cable car, to hold the camera, all while keeping an eye on the thread like thickness of a cable, sure to snap by the slightest shift of this big girl's weight, there by hurdling us to a horrid, seen by every angle in slow motion, DEATH a trillion feet below...may have caused my camera hand a few gentle movements during this serene moment of totally breathtaking beauty and calm wonderment.
The following week was spent in Regina with dad and Christine and relatives all over. It was so nice to see everyone. We were also able to do a few new things. Due to my brother André's wife Ellen, Cléo was able to do some horseback riding and we also had the oportunity of spending time at the Regina Science Center where Ellen works. Chris and Cléo both had a few runs going up the climbing wall as I cheered them on. I secretly knew I could do so much better but as I had a skirt on I opted for letting them compete with eachother. Besides those harnesses looked like they were made out of wet toilet paper.....well close to it anyway.
As holidays are, the two weeks sped by. We flew home to return to the routine but luckily dad was coming out east. We were able to spend more time with him and Christine and they bought Cléo a piano. She had expressed wanting to learn and as he had done the same for Nicole's daughter Tess a few years earlier, we found a nice one and got it home shortly after that. Cléo started lessons once a week since sept and already knows some Beethoven among other things. I have yet to ask her to pratice. It's more like telling her to do her homework INSTEAD of play piano. What a delinquent!! I knew that 15 would be rough, it's the age pending disaster I tell you!!!

Finally, this Christmas will be very special for Chris because we will have his children here to celebrate it with us. They arrive from Paris France this Dec 16th. His daughter Mahault is 13 and his son Thomas is 11. Needless to say, Chris doesn't see them often and this will be the first Christmas in 4 years they have spent together. We will have three weeks to spend with them and enjoy every minute. With that I wish for all of you to spend this holiday season with friends and loved ones and appreciate every moment. Accept our best wishes for a JOYEUX NOËL ET BONNE ANNEÉ........0X0X0X Monette, Chris et Cléo
PS...Those among you who know will be recieving a card from me in the mail. PLEASE DO NOT READ ABOVE LETTER..