Merry Christmas from Banff

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I'll start by saying Merry Christmas to everyone, may the festive season be a safe and happy one, with good food and even better company.

We both have been very busy the last few weeks. Gretchen working hard behind the counter of the Ski School desk, taking bookings and making sure all the tourists, young and old learn to ski.

I've had my first few proper days instructing people to snowboard, youngsters from Calgary, blokes from Brisbane and a family for the south, Georgia, USA.

Last week I also passed my Level 1 Freestyle Instructors course, much tougher than my Level 1 instructors, this extra qualification helps me take more advanced boarders into the terrain park and also beginner jumps and tricks. The best part definitly being my own riding improving so much!

I've also taken a job in town at a ski rental shop, so at night going and fit and tune ski's to the masses of tourists that steam into Banff.

We have both been busy working but also busy playing!! Nights such as getting almost all of our house out for tea to all you can eat Japanese hot pot, the whole house out for beers for my quarter of a century birthday, going to a free xmas dinner put on by the Banff community, then out to the dance floor with the Mt Norquay Ski School (also having our picture taken with the Mayor of Banff, tucking into the free turkey!), poker nights with home brew beer and cider and also attending Banff's Christmas street parade.

Our land lords organising a night of ice hockey on a frozen pond behind the Fairmont Hotel, with an open fire pit, and hot chocolate spice with Kahlua!!

We also obtained a 'real' Christmas tree and have decorated it and bought little Christmas stockings from the 'dollar store'. The house has a Kris Kringle going as well, max spend 10 bucks! For most of us its our first Christmas away from families and parents, so I'm sure each one of us is having very mixed emotions leading to the day. But for us, still thoroughly going to try and soak up a 'white' Christmas!

At the moment both of us have christmas day off, most in our house are working, so we are planning a big christmas dinner, at the moment we have 15 people booked in at Grizzley house.

Sorry there isn't many photos to accompany this blog, we'll get the camera out and get some of Mt Norquay and what we fill our days with and also Chistmas dinner.

Merry Christmas to all
Enjoy the day and remember the true meaning of Christmas...

Love Samuel and Gretchen

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Comments

[David D]

Merry Christmas
Hope you both have a very white christmas thinking of you both thanks for the birthday wishers thinking of you both merry christmas David & Jenni