Happy New Year!
Christmas 2025 was somewhat different especially for Linda. Linda's son, Scott, and his partner, Sara, are in Paris for 18 months so it was the first Christmas that Linda did not have her son with her. On the consolation side, Linda was able to spend Christmas with Erin and her dog, Otis. Unfortunately, Erin had the flu just before Christmas so Linda did not go to Prince Albert to enjoy Christmas dinner with her sister and her family.
We had a Christmas Eve party at Mary and Morgan's house. Everyone partied while Gunnar and I played mini sticks(Linda's gift to Gunnar) in the hallway. On Christmas Day I had to be at the airport by 2:00 pm to begin my journey to Costa Rica.
As I am writing this blog entry, we are experiencing what is, hopefully, the last of 4 plus days of mind numbing cold. However, the good news is: Linda and I are flying to Mexico in less than two weeks for a two week stay in San Pancho. We will be spending time with Ken and Gwen Dueck as well as Dale and Trish Tallon who will also be in San Pancho. Next weekend, we will be attending Malanka where we will get to see Luvisa and Gunnar perform their Ukrainian dance routines. We will also get to polka 'til we drop and enjoy some delicious Ukrainian food.
In the news:
1. Linda and I haven't been to Elk Ridge together since August. We will be going up to our townhouse for three days next week. The plan is to cross country ski and snowshoe to our heart's content.
2. Last weekend, my brothers, Vince and Wayne came to our place to make pirogies. We made about 180 large pirogies plus. I say "plus" because a few of the pirogies didn't make it to the deep freeze because family members (Uncle Clarence, Mary, Haley, Gunnar, and Luvisa) came by to sample the wares. Gunnar has enough Polish in him to finish three large pirogies.
3. Our trip to Costa Rica was a huge success. We flew out of Saskatoon on Christmas Day, had a layover in Calgary, flew 7.5 hours from Calgary to Liberia, rented a car, and drove 5 hours to Manuel Antonio. Luvisa and Gunnar were troopers. They slept from Calgary to Liberia and were patient with the long drive.
We had an Airbnb in Quepos with our own swimming pool. We were on the edge of the city with an amazing view of the mountains, jungle, and Pacific Ocean. The caretaker was a wonderful man named Luis. He was very knowledgeable regarding flora and fauna. Furthermore, he did whatever he could to make our stay enjoyable. The kids went on a night tour where they saw all manner of creepy crawly things. Apparently, Luvisa gave the guide the night off while she impressed the tour group with her expansive knowledge of reptiles, amphibians, and insects. Mary and Morgan and the kids went on a mangrove swamp tour too. One day, Luvisa, Gunnar and I spent the day in the pool while the rest went ATVing in the jungle.
From Quepos, we drove to Arenal. The scenery was amazing, but the road was terrifying at times. Our accommodations in Arenal were smaller cabins. Arenal volcano was obscured by rain clouds most of the time while we were there and we did experience a lot of rain, but the temperatures were quite comfortable. Arenal is quite walkable and there are several experiences to be enjoyed such as zip lines, horseback rides, nature hikes, etc. The highlight for me was visiting an impressive waterfall. The kids spent two days enjoying hot springs in the area. Haley, Dustin, and I drove up to Lake Arenal on our last day. We visited a restaurant overlooking the lake and observed several bird species feeding at the bird feeders. Orapandolos, Toucans, Parrots. Tangiers, Hummingbirds....
Our last stop was Playa Ocotal on the Pacific Coast. Our Airbnb condo complex had a shared pool and we were less than 5 minutes from the beach. The trees were alive with howler monkeys and there were massive iguanas for Luvisa to enjoy. Morgan, Luvisa, and I had a chance to do some snorkelling.
The return flight went off without a hitch. Again, Gunnar slept all the way back to Canada. Luvisa was entertained by her tablet.
And now the kids are back to their routines. I am back to playing hockey and Pickleball. Hopefully, the weather will settle into that sweet spot where it is not too cold to be outside and not so warm as to make the snow slushy so we will be able to cross country ski.
Until my next entry, my prayer is that anyone reading this blog will continue to live in hope for a better future where strangers are welcomed, the hungry are fed, the imprisoned are visited, and love abounds.
