Snow cone

Saturday 31 December 2011

I'm not sure if these kids were just too lazy to make a real snowman, or if the snow was too powdery for any kind of shaping.

Down the street

Friday 30 December 2011

Well, we got our white Christmas, and it's not too cold here in Regina. A perfect visit home!

A little overboard

Thursday 29 December 2011

A house in Regina that went a little overboard with the inflatable decorations.

Della's surprise

Wednesday 28 December 2011

Tonight was the surprise 60th birthday party for Della, a close family friend of the Birds'. Here is her surprise face - and yes, she was actually shocked and didn't have a clue, despite months of preparation.

Saskatchewan

Tuesday 27 December 2011

This photo was taken about ten minutes away from where Ryan grew up. He loves these prairies, although I still feel a little overexposed on them. I can see the beauty, though, in the simplicity and big skies.

Rider gnome

Monday 26 December 2011

We're in Roughrider country here (that's the local football team, by the way), and you can purchase any kind of Rider-themed merchandise you can possibly imagine. Suspenders, baby clothes, trailer hitch covers, shower curtains, and yes, even garden gnomes.

The Birds' tree

Sunday 25 December 2011

St. Basil's

Saturday 24 December 2011

This is the inside of St. Basil's Ukrainian Catholic Church in Regina, Saskatchewan. We attended midnight mass there tonight - it was a long and boring affair, but at least we got to stare at this wonderful iconoclast!

Baby headband

Friday 23 December 2011

About six months ago Ryan decided he'd like to learn to knit. So, I set him up with the basics and he chose a headband for a friend's baby for his first project. It was supposed to be ready in time for the Pride Parade (in August) . . . he just finished it today. (It didn't take him that long, he just kept forgetting about it.) Ah well, it looks lovely oh him, don't you think?

Electric mail

Thursday 22 December 2011

Go, Canada Post!

Mindful

Wednesday 21 December 2011

Ryan and I went to a Solstice Lantern Festival tonight. It was rather disappointing and there were only a few "lanterns" (this display among them), but we had a nice night out, ran into some friends, and enjoyed the walk up there.

Royal Fever

Tuesday 20 December 2011

Festive window

Monday 19 December 2011

We may not have yards here in the big city, but we still love to decorate!

Creche angel

Sunday 18 December 2011

Everyone brought their creche sets into church today, and set them up in the front. It was nice to see such different sets, and from all over the world, too. I think this one was from Guatamala.

Science World Free Day!

Saturday 17 December 2011

Ahhhhh! Run!!!! There's a dinosaur in the museum! Don't just stand there gawking, get out of here!

Kindy singing

Friday 16 December 2011

Today was the Christmas party, so the kids all sang the songs they'd been practicing for their parents. Adorable.

Reel Big Fish

Thursday December 2011

Concerts are so hard to photograph. This one was a ton of fun to attend, though!

Cookie trays

Wednesday 14 December 2011

This year's cookie trays, ready to be given to friends. The goodies: sugar cookies, coffee toffee bars, almond snowballs, peppernuts, chocolate-covered pretzels, and sweet 'n spicy nuts.

The Sun building

Tuesday 13 December 2011

Clam chorus

Monday 12 December 2011

The Christmas window display at a local cooking supply store - anamatronic clams singing the Hallelujah chorus. I love it.

Gingerbread contest

Sunday 11 December 2011

All the contestants of a gingerbread house contest are displayed at a local hotel. There were bigger, more elaborate, and more realistic ones than this one, but this was my favorite. Simple, elegant, traditional, yet still exquisite.

Our tree

Saturday 10 December 2011

There was a potted bush on the balcony when we moved in, and we figured it would make a lovely Christmas tree this year.

The island nears

Friday 9 December 2011

It's pretty rare that you can see the mountains on Vancouver Island so clearly.

The stars of St. Paul's

Thursday 8 December 2011

The hospital down the street is doing renovations, and so is covered with scaffolding. For Christmas, they covered the scaffolding with all kinds of gorgeous Christmas lights, brightening the whole block.

Canada Place . . .

Wednesday 7 December 2011

. . . is all dressed up for Christmas.

Pictures for me

Tuesday 6 December 2011

It's been nice working in a kindergarten classroom again. And now that the kids have gotten to know me, they're drawing pictures for me, which is one of my favorite parts of being a teacher. These are Christmas presents just for me.

Christmas garden

Monday 5 December 2011

Remember that humming bird from a few days back? Well, now the person who takes care of this little median garden has decorated it for Christmas!

It's Santa!

Sunday 4 December 2011

The Santa Parade was today, right after my final exam for the year. What a nice afternoon!

A day at Vanier Park

Saturday 3 December 2011

All the museums at Vanier Park in Kitsilano had a special on today - five dollars for admission to several places. We saw the Maritime museum, the Science museum, the Planetarium, the Vancouver archives. This picture is from an exhibit on neon in the Vancouver museum. It used to be the most popular method of advertising in Vancouver, and covered city streets.

It's beginning to look . . .

Friday 2 December 2011

One of Vancouver's best-known symbols, the seawall inuksuk.

Urban hummingbird

Thursday 1 December 2011

A local resident keeps one of the little median gardens growing and decorated, which is such a nice touch, making the neighborhood that much brighter.