Pseudo Christmas is one of the great traditions within our group of friends. It usually takes place on the weekend before Christmas, when as many as possible of our friends are back in town, and before the rest leave town. We gather together all of our friends, cook a turkey and each person brings a dish traditional to their own family celebrations. We share food and talk and hug and catch up on each other's lives over the past year. There is always news to be discovered: a new baby to coo over, a new pregnancy, an engagement and many things to look forward to in the new year. In many ways our group of friends is more tight knit than family and it is fitting to celebrate a family event with our family of friends.

The other Pseudo Christmas tradition is disaster. The first two years of pseudo Christmas were held in a house and when two years ago the power blew in half of the house, including power to the stoves, microwaves and furnace, the hosts decided that perhaps a hall might be a better option, since it's quite cold in December in Edmonton and being without a furnace was unpleasant. This year carried on the tradition to the tune of gurgling pipes. Yes, all of the pipes in the hall backed up; toilets, sinks and dishwashers flooded onto the floor. Otherwise, the event was a complete sucess.







Chnaners cooking up a storm.










Kristy and Sarah hanging out after dinner.













Rachel's funky Christmas manicure.













Doug and Jenna.














Little Erica can't quite figure out what Lloyd, Jago and Dev are doing.












Ready for desert.













Cara and her old school friends.










Chnaners greets Cory Tanzanian style.













Christine and Trish.














Part of our circle of friends.