Christmas 2006

Happy Holidays to all!

It's been a while since I've added an entry to this blog. It's been an exhausting month! I'm sure you all feel the same way about December. It's a busy time of year.

Our first Christmas in Vancouver was a nice one, thanks to our family and friends who helped us celebrate. Owen's Grandma & Grandpa Quintana, and Aunts Liza & Sara came all the way from Vermont bringing plenty of holiday cheer! But our friends & family who are distant by miles were close in our hearts & minds.

Chris' family arrived the Saturday before Christmas and from the time they arrived until the time they left, Owen really enjoyed their presence! It was just about non-stop play for him. He pretty much ignored Mom & Dad, making us feel neglected a bit, but it was really nice to see Owen bond with all of them. Our house was filled with laughter and screams, Owen's, of course! I think the entire time they were here (one week), I only changed one poopy diaper! That was a break for me.

We took our guests to Granville Island for some shopping on Christmas Eve. Christmas Day, we stayed home for most of the day. Owen enjoyed all his new gifts and new toys. He opened a few presents with help, but then was more interested in playing with his new things rather than opening them., That night, Chris, his dad and two sisters went to the movies while Mom & Grandma stayed home with Owen and put him to bed. Tuesday was Boxing Day, and also a day of incredible sales, but we didn't take advantage of that. We took them to Chris' office where they got a tour. No one was there, but the security guard, so it was pretty quiet. We took them to Stanley Park and the aquarium where Owen particularly, enjoyed himself. They're in the process of expanding their facilities and one of the new displays they have showcases jellyfish in a pretty spectacular way. They also have a new exploration/play area for the kids. Owen was allowed to run around and play and was without a doubt, the loudest kid there!! He's a screamer - but a happy screamer at that. Afterwards we drove around Stanley Park which recently was battered pretty badly in the Dec. 15th storm. The park lost a lot of trees and almost all of their trails and more than half the park and roads were closed down, so we couldn't see much. But we did see that the tree coverage was significantly less dense than before, which was sad to see.



We drove through Chinatown and Gastown. We took them to Ikea a couple of times and we all took advantage of their $1 breakfast! A plate of scrambled eggs, two sausages, potatoes and a croissant are included in the deal. A plate of pancakes were an extra $1. Not bad. We drove to Whistler which was a beautiful drive. We got lucky with the weather that day. The views and the mountains were spectacular. Along the way, we stopped at Shannon Falls. I stayed in the car with Owen while he napped. Everyone else got out and saw the waterfall.

On their last full day here, we went downtown and hit Robson Street for some shopping. It was Boxing week and the sales were still there, so that worked out.

And finally, on that night, Chris and I went out on a date!! Everyone else stayed home and watched Owen. It was nice.

In all, we had a nice time. Chris and I were sad to see his family leave, as we are when any of our guests leave. We are thankful they could all make the trip. It was a pretty big deal for them as it was for us.

Up next... the New Year. We wish you all a happy and healthy '07.

Love,
Marisa (and Chris & Owen)