I am so happy to be on my Christmas break!

He said

Well before we knew it here we are at the week before Christmas and Emelia’s last week of school before Christmas Break. She’s really been looking forward to this especially because the last month has been a whirlwind of school projects, exams and university applications (and acceptance). Add in the Cheer Comp season whipping up with two competitions almost back to back in the last month and the practice and prep that goes along with that. And, then on top of all of that, you add in work schedule and Emelia’s bustling social calendar and it high time – as far as she is concerned – for a break.

She’s been getting her progress reports and the last batch were updates at the three quarter mark of her first semester and she’s getting great marks and we are super proud of the hard work that she is putting in and it is showing. Her average right now is in the high eighties. We’re so delighted she’s found the way that works for her and seems to be getting encouraged by the marks which causes her to work and try even hard. It hasn’t always been easy for her, and there were definitely very challenging moments, but once she figured out what works, and saw success, she’s really dialled in an applied herself. We’re super proud of her1

The biking front for me has unfortunately been almost entirely inside this month with the arrival of more snow and winter in December than I think we had all of last winter. I’ve still been riding but it has been all inside, in the basement. But I am proud to say that goal of 10,000km this year is long in the rearview mirror as I managed to hit and pass 11,000km too. By the time this month ends I should be almost at 13,000km as I am planning to do the Rapha 500 again between Christmas and New Years Eve. Given I was happy to hit 9,294kms last year, I am elated to have gotten here!

Next week Christmas is here and we’re really looking forward to the time with family this year especially. It’s the first one without Dad and one where where we’re still not reeling from losing Greg like we were last year. It makes all the time that more precious. We have plans to be with Mom on Christmas Day and then spending time with the whole family together on Boxing Day with Mom for a dinner together. And then, we’re looking to max out every other minute we can being together and enjoy the little breaks we get together as much as we can. And, maybe who knows even get some time to relax and unwind too!

She said

This week will be a pretty short one. This last week has been a blur of wrapping things up with work before my holiday break. I was able to get things all buttoned up so I can enjoy the next two weeks off. Emelia’s week was a busy one for Emelia, she was in a blur of tests, papers and projects, while trying to balance work, time with her friends and cheer training. Everything came together nicely, she had the best time at her cheer parties, got all her papers handed in and could finally take some downtime.

Emelia and her friends have been trying to plan a bigger hang out with the larger group to go skating and hang out. All of her friends have busy lives so getting the whole group together has been hard. Some of her friends are away on trips, some have family holidays dinners already starting. But she did manage to get about half their group together last night, it was her two besties Bri and Belle as well as one of her other best friends Carter got together to go skating downtown before coming back here to hang out. They all seemed to have the best time and it was great to see her so happy and with some incredible friends.

The rest of this break is going to be all about spending time together as a family, some downtime and taking in the last Christmas as Emelia as a child, she turns 18 in just over a month so we want to hold on to the holiday magic as long as we can.