Christmas Day 2012

This morning everyone awoke excited to see if Santa visited us during the night. We had a houseful of company for this special morning with both my mom and Ian's mom here.  Ian's brother Mark stayed over with us as well we had Meadow and Andrew staying with us this winter so our 1000 sq ft almost finished house was quite cozy :)

Sisterly love :) as daddy looks on

Grammy Sue and Bluebell

Nana Diana and Ians brother Mark

My eldest Meadow opening a jewelry box my dad made her and her boyfriend Andrew

Sierra and Aayla with their beautiful lamp their sissy Meadow made for their new room

Nana Diana and Mark, Meadow with her piggy cutting board

My dad and his wife Bev came over around lunch for Christmas dinner

Ian adding the holes into his belt Meadow made him from an old tire.

Then...what you never want to happen any time let alone on Christmas day...my mom had what we thought was a stroke and was rushed to the hospital. The ambulance drivers convinced me to stay at home with the family until we knew what was happening as she was going to be whisked away at the hospital for tests. She was kept for hours running tests and everyone waited at home patiently for news.

A campfire was lit...

and the first deer was spotted across the river...

Mark went to get the girls cousins Cameron and Lucas (Charlie was with her mom and couldn't come). Ian's other brother Gary arrived with his girlfriend Robin and cousin Jake and dinner was being prepared and we tried to carry on while we waited for news.

Sierra checking out the marshmallow shooters Meadow made for Cameron and Lucas

Jake and Cameron

Cameron and Lucas with their new slingshots

Sierra with Sissy Meadow and Andrew

Robin and Aayla catching a snuggle

My Dad, Bev and Ian's mom Diana

Mark and Gary

Ian finishing up the turkey

Shortly after this I went to the hospital to see mom as we still hadn't heard anything. Tests were just getting in and they found she did not have a stroke. They didn't know why her symptoms showed as a stroke and was told to get more testing done when she returned to NS after Christmas. She made it home in time for our Christmas dinner. Thankfully it wasn't serious enough to keep her any longer but boy was it scary to watch happen.

(UPDATE: mom's stroke like episode has been labelled as stress. That the stress of her driving here through a snowstorm just built up inside her, on top of the regular stresses of Christmas and other things. Thankfully she is not prone for a stroke and just has to find ways to de-stress.)