A Berner Christmas

We're a little late for this post, our excuse being that Sawyer was away enjoying New Years with his foster family in the Haliburtons (stay turned for that blog!)

Sawyer thoroughly enjoyed his Christmas - let the photos speak for themselves.

(they made me wear this...geesh!)

(WOW Santa, for ME?)

Lazing on the porch after an amazing ground lamb Christmas dinner.  Thank you Santa!

Christmas 2011

Thanks to W's efforts,  we managed to acquire a lovely Christmas tree for the living room.  Last year we passed on that idea, since Sawyer was still a rambunctious puppy.  However, this year, under our watchful eyes, we managed to set & dress the tree with very few incidents.  Sawyer didn't seem at all interested in it until he spotted a few plush "mini-teddy" ornaments,  which by the way are sacred creatures in MJ's mind.  When we weren't looking, Sawyer delicately plucked "mini-teddy" from a limb and proceeded to mouth the little "stuffy".  Thankfully, MJ managed to save "mini-teddy"!

We did have some fun with him, dressing him with beaded garlands and teasing him with ornaments.  Once he had had enough, he reciprocated and ripped a couple of our cardboard ornament boxes.  No worries, it all ended well.  He had fun (so did we) and our tree is still standing today!

(Really...you're going to make me wear this?)

(MJ proud of her decorating abilities)

(*sniff, sniff* - is this eatable?)

(Hmmm, yup I like that ornament)

(uhhh, nope, pass on that one!)

(Pfffeww, a well-deserved nap)

Merry Christmas everyone and wishing you all good health, fortune and happiness!

First Christmas

Sawyer's first Christmas was full of excitement, treats and delight!  It all started with a 6:30 am wake up call, followed by a delicious breakfast and a refreshing walk.  That just wasn't enough for Sawyer-Doodles, he felt compelled to share his Christmas joy with the remaining sleeping family members.  MJ was a great trooper getting up at the crack of dawn, followed by Mom and TJ trailing behind.

The festivities began with fresh berry salad, yogurt and orange juice.  Papa prepared a delicious pot of fair-trade coffee, with a generous shot of mocha-flavoured Kahlua... nice little kick-start to the day!   With a little food in our bellies, we proceeded to the gift-giving.  MJ's strategy of giving Sawyer his gift  first ( scrumptious doggy candy cane) bought us some time to open our gifts and to put on our goofiest faces.

Although we did not share our delicious eggs Benedict (accompanied with Brie, bacon & asparagus) with Sawyer, he did find a way to find a few delicious morsels on the counter.  Sawyer is, nonetheless, a very clever and resourceful dog and will most certainly never go hungry in our household!

From Sawyer and his faithful & loving family, we wish you all a MERRY CHRISTMAS AND JOYEUX NOEL A TOUS!

Christmas in Toronto

Yesterday was a rather cold and overcast day so all five of us (Sawyer included) had a lovely afternoon nap.  Nothing like a lazy afternoon.

After a belly full of ribs, sausages and broccoli (Sawyer excluded), we agreed as a family to see the Christmas lights in Toronto.   So, off we went with Sawyer loaded in the back of the SUV.

We chose to park underground near the Dundas Square, rather than waste time looking for the non-existent cheap parking.  This was Sawyer's first experience underground and in the city.  We headed for the stairs  but for some reason Sawyer was freaked out and absolutely REFUSED to budge.  No amount of treats conned him to move.  So, on to plan B:  the elevator. Another new experience but we decided to casually enter the elevator and Wonder Boy had no qualms whatsoever.  Fooled him one more time!

The city was vibrant with noise, lights & the bustle of people shopping.   We walked for an hour exploring the core and soon realized how few patches of grass were available for dogs.  Thankfully W knew his way around and soon found a semi-green patch of grass near Ryerson University for Sawyer to frolic in.

MJ & Sawyer in Dundas Square

Then off we walked to the old Simpson's Department store (now the Bay) to enjoy their annual interactive Christmas windows.

On our way to Nathan Philip Square, we met up with a homeless man lying over a warm grate, surrounded with food donations, Tim Horton's cup and a few scattered coins.  I approached him and enquired about his well-being.  He assured me he was "ok" but  "tired" and proceeded to cover himself with a thin blanket and resume his sleep.  I left him some coins, in the spirit of Christmas giving and caught up to the family with a heavy heart.  

The skating rink in Nathan Philip Square was packed with seasoned and new skaters.  There was a beautifully decorated Christmas tree near City Hall which MJ & TJ reluctantly posed for to keep me and my blog happy.  Sawyer was less cooperative but appeared to enjoy being in our company.  It had been a long time since we'd had a family outing and all agreed it was good for the soul.

Guelph Santa Claus Parade

Yet another outing for Mr. Sawyer, this time as a spectator at the Guelph Santa Claus Parade.  First, we whisked sister MJ away from her studies to catch a bite to eat at the famous Angels restaurant for a very late breakfast, followed by a short walk to downtown Guelph to watch the annual festive procession.

In order to get in the spirit of Christmas, we adorned Sawyer (and MJ too!) with a cute pair of antlers, while Dad modeled his Santa shirt.   Sawyer was NOT impressed with us but finally succumbed to the humiliation.

During the parade, we realized that the sound of drums & bagpipes was not Sawyer's cup of tea (not an ounce of Scottish blood in the boy!).  He became very agitated and tried to high-tail it out of there.  However, MJ soothed him and he reluctantly joined us to watch the various community groups display their festive decorations and costumes.

We stayed long enough to watch big brother TJ perform with the Magnolia Brass Band playing a medley of Christmas jingles.  A very proud moment for the whole family.

The adventure ended with a brisk, cold walk back to the car, followed by a cozy warm snooze in the car ride back home.  A good day was had by all.