Can it be post Christmas Day already? After a month where my existence seemed to consist of work, eat, sleep, shop and bake, it hardly seems possible that we’re done. I’m a big fan of the days between Christmas and New Year – though I have had to go to work on a couple of them this year – the big relax after all the excitement and tension, no presents to open, no big meal to prepare. And now here I am typing a blog with my Christmas present, my new keyboard for my ipad. Finally.

There’s a little to update. Firstly, we are having the whitest Christmas since we’ve lived in Canada. The snow doesn’t often arrive in volume until January. Not this winter. Already the snow banks are piled high at the roadside. The week before Christmas was interesting with freezing rain and ice pellets making life difficult, but we didn’t lose power as so many in Eastern Canada did so we have much to be thankful for. A few people we know were without power right over Christmas.

Christmas Day turned out to be beautiful blue sky – cold but a winter wonderland out there. We shared Christmas with our friend Sally, also a Brit, who arrived in the Union Jack onesie she got for Christmas…and she brought us a big tin of Roses chocolates, yum. After our Christmas dinner we went out for a walk and had a hilarious time walking across the strawberry field and sinking into the snow. No one else was out walking at all, just us – one mad dog, one Englishman and a few English ladies. We had to get out there while there was some sunshine.

Boxing Day followed, it snowed from morning to evening. For the moment it is lovely, the trees are coated with a layer of ice and snow, the children are on holiday so can build slides in the snow banks and enjoy it. When everyone in the family is trying to get out to work and school again in a weeks time things will get a little bit more tricky. Tonight we’re expecting another storm bringing more snow and freezing rain. A snowstorm is so silent, this still fascinates me.

One unusual thing for us this year is that for the first time our extended family is scattered over three continents. As well as family members in England, my youngest sister is away travelling in Australia and New Zealand. We follow her journey through updates on social media, one stunning picture after the next. At present she is in New Zealand…travelling through middle earth…enjoying summer while we cosy up for winter. I get brain ache trying to remember what the time and day is on the other side of the world – thank goodness for my world clock app and for the technology to keep in contact while she is away.

For all that I think we are happier here at Christmas this year, our fourth in Canada. It is when we find ourselves most homesick for our family…and traditional British Christmas food stuff…but I think we’ve adapted. The very white Christmas makes it that little bit magical too.

And so we’re counting down to 2014, I’m thinking that there will be more than snow in store for us all.

I hope all of you reading had a merry Christmas and wish you a happy new year.