Here’s our look at the year that was.

Right after New Year’s in January we headed out to the Gimli area and one of our “homes away from home”-Aaron’s on the Lake, Bed and Breakfast, where we occasionally help out as Guest Innkeepers.

Since D works remotely and can work anywhere in Canada, he is able to work after we feed the guests breakfast. I assist him in the kitchen and serve the guests. We have met so many amazing people. But there actually weren’t many guests booked and some days felt like a winter vacation.

Bekah and her “littles” came out to stay with us a couple of nights because when we are innkeepers we get the whole house to ourselves. I think Bekah enjoyed the break as husband Seb works shifts at his job with the Winnipeg Police.

As the house sits right on Lake Winnipeg (right across the lake from where our place is at Lester), we watch amazing sunrises.

The rest of January and the beginning of February we celebrated Doug’s, Josie’s and Seb’s birthdays (the latter in advance).

For J’s birthday D often takes the grandkids for a night in a hotel that has water slides. They look forward to the weekend all year.

Maybe this year, this Wee One will be able to join them.

The grandkids love to do activities together. L and F took the same creative movement class last year.

Beautiful J is taking after her Mom with her long, lean body just made for dancing.

Speaking of beautiful, this was J & J’s youngest at Seb’s birthday party.

By mid February, I was off to meet friends and family in Isla Mujeres.

D joined us in March as well as his sister Deb and her fiancée Joe. Together we had an amazing and restful time.

Before and after Isla Mujeres our city house was occupied by a family moving to Winnipeg from Vancouver Island. We stayed at K and B’s homes

and spent some time at the lake while this occurred.

We wanted to be in the city in May this year. I planned to redo a couple of my city gardens and besides Mother’s Day, there were six family birthdays in May

including the first birthday of the newest family member which was combined with her brothers’. B celebrated hers as well, along with starting a new job with an all female owned brewery.

K and T don’t get out to the lake very often but they did come for May long when we celebrated J’s bday.

Then we were back home and in our lovely yard in time for my birthday.

We also tried to beautify LIG (Life is Good) -our beach house. D put in grass seed so we could try to keep the sand out of the house (it may be a losing battle). We purchased a new barbeque/grill/pizza oven and do most of our cooking outside. D hopes to add a sink and canopy this year.

Beautiful B takes after me, and her Auntie K and always has her nose in a book, often under an umbrella in the shade on our deck.

J and J sold their lake house and moved their hot tub onto our deck.

We also spend time at Sister #2’s pool as she and her husband M have a permanent home at Lester Beach.

Sister #3 often comes and joins us at the lake. She too is fond of K & M’s pool (and us of course).

Poppa is always dreaming up things that the grandkids would get a kick out of like letting them sit in the box of the truck

or making donuts.

We love everything about our inland sea

but especially that the “littles” get to experience lake life with their cousins.

In mid summer, we were once again obtained to be guest innkeepers at Aaron’s on the Lake. We invited Torontonians Richard and Melinda to stay with us. Doug’s brother David (another Torontonian), sister Lori and his Mom also paid us a visit.

Shortly thereafter, we joined Laura and Derek (pictured here) at Richard & Melinda’s Willard Lake house for our annual visit.

D and I love the chaos of everyone at the beach house at the same time, but we love our alone time and watching sunsets too. This evening was on the occasion of our 40th wedding anniversary. That’s a lot of sunsets!

Once back in the city we host Sunday suppers now that we have an expandable table that seats 14! As you can see, a lot of our family time is spent breaking bread together.

In late September, D and I spent 24 days in BC staying with friends and at various Home Exchanges. We had a wonderful time enjoying the area when D completed his remote work days. I wrote a lengthy trip report on the blog that you may want to check out.

And now we have come full circle and it is Christmas again. Here are J and I recently at her first Jets game.

We had our first of many Christmas get togethers last week. It reminds me of all the wonderful people in our life whom we love dearly. If you are reading this, you are one of them too.

Kath’s quote: “And the angel said unto them, ‘Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.’” —Luke 2:10

Love never fails.

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