For immediate release:
December 20, 2006  

What are you doing over the holidays?

As we all scramble to prepare for Christmas season festivities, I’d like to present what our office will be doing to celebrate the magic of this special time of year.

Bobbi Ann in our office works best under pressure and despite despising crowds any other time of the year, she enjoys the hustle and bustle of the malls just a few days before Christmas. So as you’ve guessed it, Bobbi Ann will begin her holidays by wrapping up her shopping before settling in to a few days of memory-making with her family – Rick, Addison, Carter – at their home on the outskirts of Delhi, as well as visiting with extended family.

Its baby’s first Christmas for 8-month-old Maxwell Willett, his proud papa Rob, and wife Sarah. Over the Christmas weekend the Willett family will be strolling their little bundle of Christmas joy to share presents, good food and good times with relatives in Barrie and 2-sets of Grandparents in Hamilton. Along the way Max will crawl through the festive wrapping paper, toys and boxes with year-old cousins Faye and Nathan.

Jen’s extended family has in recent years grown so much that their festivities began this past weekend in Caledonia and will continue until the 30th. On Christmas Eve, Jen will be travelling to Beamsville with her partner Andrew and his daughter Leah, to spend Christmas morning with her parents and her sister’s family. This means that everyone in the house will be up bright and early with Nathan, Jen’s 2 year old nephew, who will be giddy with excitement. Jen, however, will be giddy about the dutch-baked goods for breakfast, handmade by her baker brother-in-law, Ben. Always a treat!

Joshua will spend Christmas Eve at his parents’ house just west of Jericho/Silver Hill, where he will spend the night. On Christmas morning – after gift-giving – he will then celebrate Christmas dinner at Jess’ house with her family in South Middleton. Jess will then accompany Joshua back to his parents’ house to celebrate Christmas supper with his family, followed by the annual name-draw gift exchange.

Santa will visit Tina’s Delhi home on Christmas Eve while she and her husband, Tim and girls, Taylor, Trinity and Tessa visit the Simcoe Panorama. Perhaps the girls will allow Mommy and Daddy to sleep in Christmas morning since the unwrapping of gifts will be wrapped up the night before; but not likely. At least this tradition allows for less hurried visits with Mom and Dad Gates’, Mom and Dad DeBock and many more loved ones on the days which follow. Merry Christmas to Tina’s nieces and nephew – Alexis, Alaina and Alex.

As for Cari and I, we’re looking forward to Shawn, Brett and Brittany and their friends returning back home to Woodhouse Township for the holidays. This year, I will be dragging in a gigantic ‘Charlie Brown’ Christmas tree from our woods. Cari decorates – you may notice our candles in the windows from the Cockshutt Road, probably an Irish tradition.

And as we all celebrate with our families in our own special way, we wish all of you the best of the season. And all of us – family and staff – are gearing up for the Sunday, January 7th Cider Party to help ring in the New Year. Everyone is welcome!!

Merry Christmas!!