Oma Dolphin (my mom) is here this week to visit and help look after the kids while Nelly is away. We are really enjoying spending time together preparing for Christmas. It is so much fun for the kids to spend time baking, reading Christmas stories, and making decorations with Oma.

Last night we went to Van Dusen Gardens to take in the annual Festival of Light. It is a magical display of millions of Christmas lights and features a light show to music a few times each hour. It was very cold outside, so we didn’t last too long. Fortunately the hot chocolate and popcorn kept the kids going!

I’m taking a photography course right now that is focussed on taking photos of the holidays. I really tried to practice some of the new techniques to capture the lights. I still have a long way to go, but it is good to get my camera off of the manual settings and learn how it works.

Still on the agenda while Oma is in town: Grouse Mountain Peak of Christmas, and some Christmas shopping! And Sunday, of course, we are celebrating Willem’s birthday with family and a few friends.