Sunday, December 6, 2015

A Prairie Christmas

It's hard to believe it's December and the Christmas season is upon us (especially given the weather we've been enjoying!) but it certainly is here and as this weekend winds down it seemed like a good time for a post (yes, it's been a long time and we'll catch you up on the last few months in a separate post in the next few days, I promise).

We started out the weekend with a pretty big and successful Christmas shopping trip and then today Kris and I sat back and enjoyed A Prairie Christmas with the WSO, which again this year included Jen's PTV choir.  We had lunch with Maria, Lisa and Sandy and they joined us at the concert.  It's the third time in 4 years that PTV has been part of this WSO tradition and it struck me part way through the performance that it's a tradition that Karen never experienced.  Jen had told me at breakfast that last night she had dreamed her mom had been here today and seen her in the long sleeved dress she now wears as part of the senior choir.  (Some of you have heard the story of how in grade 2 when Jen participated in her first PTV choir concert she told me she would one day wear the senior choir dress.)

It's an interesting evolution as time goes by - there are more and more things in our life that Karen wasn't here to be a part of  - not just WSO concerts, but high school, sports teams, travel and yes boys with facial hair and girls with make up and heels, not to mention new fashion considerations for both!  Of course Karen is a part of all of them, her mark is very clearly on both kids and her influence comes through in most everything we do, just not in that in person way we sometimes long to experience.

Last weekend we spent a night in Altona and attended Lisa's play (the Beverley Hillbillies) - it was great to spend time with good friends and share Lisa's acting accomplishments, just as it was great to have them share in Jen's choral achievements today.  In all of it we felt Karen's presence, and talked freely about her.  Tonight Jen's friend Kaden invited us to his hockey game at a nearby arena.  Again it was nice to spend time with good friends who know us well.  The kids, particularly Jen, have experienced many new things this year meeting new people along the way and sometimes its really nice to spend time with old friends who know us well and share our love of Karen.

We'll tell you more about our summer and fall in that post I promised at the beginning and we'll also tell you about what's coming up as Christmas approaches.  In the meantime, to all of you who share our love of Karen and share our good fortune of having had her be a part of your life, please know how much we love having you as part of our lives!

Take care and have fun preparing for Christmas!
Love as always
Doug, Jen and Kris