Neon Doll

Reflections and Happy New Year!

2012-01-02T10:59:00.000-08:00

I am so thankful we get to have a new year every 365 days! 2011 was a year filled with wonderful milestones, but somehow as a whole it was also one of my most difficult years thus far.

My oldest child graduated from high school, got his drivers license and got accepted to College. My youngest entered his first year of high school. I finished my schooling and became a Licensed Practical Nurse. All great achievements!

A combination of things made this year difficult, but I have faith that this year will be much better! I plan on getting healthier in every way this year...physically, mentally and spiritually. I know many people close to me have also had a rough year and I pray for good health and many blessings for all my family and friends dear to me.

If I could narrow it down to one thing to focus on this year it would be relationships. Life is so short and I really want to work on my marriage, deepening my relationship with God and seeing my BFF more, as well as other good friends that our busy lives have prevented us from seeing as much.

Well, there you have it...a very broad sort of resolution...
Happy New Year everyone!

Me and Grandpa

2011-11-19T08:20:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was the anniversary of the day that I lost my first grandparent four years ago. I remember the day so clearly...and thankfully I also have many memories of the love my "papa" had for me. The harder the whisker rub...the more you were loved. :) Papa always had a twinkle in his eye and a smile on his face. We bounced on his knees, swung outside on the swing he made and made trips to A&W with him.

In his younger years, Papa made beautiful dresses for my Grandma and they went out dancing every weekend with their friends. My grandparents owned a motel together and worked hard so that they could retire early.

Me and Papa on his motorcycle...

I love you Papa!

Annual Bevy Stories

2011-08-27T18:44:00.000-07:00

Please don't get the wrong impression of us...but every year it seems that some of our greatest camping tales revolve around a beverage.

Firstly, my BFF and I are always on the hunt for the perfect Bellini, so it was a given that the best way to kick off our vacation was to enjoy the evening with a treat at Hoodoo's.

Delicious!

Secondly, each trip must involve a slushie drink that requires a blender.

Provincial parks are top of the list for beauty and peacefulness, but unfortunately do not have power to each site. Us being the resourceful people that we are, loaded up the truck with all our drink making gear and headed for the public washroom...Yes, that's right....the public washrooms have electricity!

Chris is checking out the situation...Gary is MIA...something about checking on some meat....hmmmm...

After all of our hard work we meet at the tailgate...oh, so refreshing!

In another bevy story....the first night we were playing cards outside when we started get dive bombed by bugs! Ewww! Sonya's solution was to tighten up her bug helmet and find a cover for her straw.....

I think she may be on to something here....

Can't wait to see what stories we will have to tell in the years to come!

Annual O'Donnell/Larnder Camping Trip

2011-08-27T18:18:00.000-07:00

After missing our annual camping trip last year, this year's trip was very much anticipated. I'd have to say it was one of the best ever, but I'm sure I say that every year. I'm just so thankful for the friendship our two families have and how great everyone gets along!

Here are the Larnder's packing up!

Our camping trip is filled with traditions...

one being to go for ice cream...

Another...spending time at the beach catching up on gossip magazines...

Playing cards...apparently the adults have more fun than the teenagers!

Chillin' in the shade...

Load 'em up!

Ahhhh....just relaxin'...

By the end of the weekend...even the two oldest promised they would be joining us next year...although we will just have to wait and see where their lives lead them this next year.

I do believe this camping tradition will be something our two families appreciate even more in the future!

Rolley Lake

2011-08-26T20:24:00.000-07:00

I grew up camping so it's something that my whole family enjoys...that's why I take any chance at making a camping tradition. We try to go camping with my brother and his family once every summer. It just so happens that each time it's been at Rolley Lake, out in Mission. I really like it there because it is so quiet, it's close by and there are so many beautiful trees. There is a lake you can swim in if it's hot enough, but this summer got off to a bit of a slow start so we used the lake for fishing. My dad took off from work early one day and drove up to spend the afternoon with us. It was pretty cold and the rain forecast looked iffy so my mom decided to sit this one out. The fish weren't biting that day anyways, but we all got lots of fresh air.

Hopefully next year we can wear shorts instead of parkas!

Birthday Bumps...

2011-07-23T20:11:00.000-07:00

Okay, sorry for the bad quality and the sideways pose that I just can't seem to turn around....

but....here is my gift to you, my BFF...hope you enjoy!

BFF NIGHT!

2011-07-10T17:24:00.000-07:00

Here's the two BFF's getting ready for the show!

NKOTBSB

2011-07-10T17:21:00.000-07:00

Last night, my BFF and I took a trip down memory lane from our teenage years. Twenty five years ago, we lived, breathed and dreamed of NKOTB...literally! All of our love for them came rushing back as soon as the lights went up. :) We were happy to discover that we still remember every word to every song.

Here was my crush...Mr. Jordan Knight!

Awww....little Joey McIntyre!

Yumm! Need I say more?

Awww....what a guys!

Here's a little sneak peek of one of our faves....

You guys still have the right stuff after all these years!!

Convocation 2011

2011-06-23T16:38:00.000-07:00

Our next celebration around here was convocation...it really does feel different having one of your children graduated and finished with school forever! All of a sudden it seems official that I have another grown man in the house...

What a handsome young man!

We look forward to seeing what the future holds for Christopher as he continues on his life journey!

New Look!

2011-06-14T17:46:00.000-07:00

I wanted a nice and colourful new look for my blog, but just couldn't get any of the backgrounds to work for me...so I'll just insert my own colourful pics for now and have fun with the fonts!

This weekend we finished a project that we've been trying to do for quite some time now...took out our bedroom window and installed french doors. We had bought the doors from craigslist last year and it took until now for it to work out that my dad could help Chris install them. Some moulding still has to go up to cover up the drywall that was ripped off, but for the most part the project is complete, which is a record around here that Chris is extremely proud of!

Grad 2011

2011-06-11T19:34:00.000-07:00

This weekend was one of the milestones in every persons life...graduating from high school and seeing your first child graduate from high school. Christopher does not get excited about things too easily, and grad is no exception. He's relieved do be done with high school, and I suspect that participating in a few of the grad activities was for dear old mom's sake. Although school has not been Christopher's thing, we're still very proud of his accomplishment and look forward to seeing what the future holds!

Boohoo!

2011-05-31T19:08:00.000-07:00

I was very saddened to discover the other week that someone else had discovered by babies...and enjoyed them in a different way!

This is how I found my shrub...so I'm guessing that either a cat or raccoon got to them. :(

Somewhere in the mess of the top picture (if you look hard,) you can see the nest totally upside down. So, here I am trying to find the babies...sadly, I found two of them bloodied and dead at the bottom of the deck. No pic...and I wasn't about to touch them either, so this is their final resting place. Later that day, Chris said he found one more in the grass and we don't know what happened to the last one. I guess he either made a delicious entree or, more hopefully, he survived...

I have kept the nest as a souvenir because so much hard work went into it and it's a piece of art to me! I think maybe I will purchase a birdhouse so that next spring my babies will be safe and sound. :)

It's a boy! And a girl! And a boy??

2011-05-17T18:32:00.000-07:00

I was delighted to discover this sunny morning that the first baby robin had hatched! As I kept checking throughout the day, number 2 arrived around lunch time and number 3 just before dinner...

Here is mama, hard at work to get the next two bambinos to hatch....

Yay! Just one more to go....

Mama and Papa have not been very happy with me intruding...they've been dive bombing me and yelling at me every time I try to take a peek.

I'm going to do my best to keep track of the babies in the next few weeks, but I don't want to push my luck and have mommy and daddy abandon the wee ones...but stay tuned. :)

My new babies

2011-05-14T18:54:00.000-07:00

A few nights ago, I went to sit in the hot tub and as I threw the cover back, startled a bird (and it startled me) that went flying out of the bushes planted along the house. I was suspicious, but it was dark out so I didn't think any more about it. Tonight, it was deja vu...me scaring bird, bird scaring me as I flung back the lid. I decided to peek into the shrub and was delighted at what I found!

Here is mama staring me down and making sure I don't upset her babies.

My guess is that they have been there about a week and a half already and upon doing some research the eggs should hatch in about 12 - 16 days.
I'll be peeking in over the next few days and weeks to see what's happening in my own backyard....

Scavenger Hunt

2011-05-09T21:23:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure how many more Easters the boys will want to search for their treats (Christopher opted out already this year), so I figured I'd make Kenton work a bit for it in a different way than usual. I started by giving him a clue and then each clue led him to another clue.

Easter Sunday actually had a few sunny periods so the grand finale had to be outside...

Who wouldn't have a smile on their face after finding a basket full of chocolate?

Tuxedo Shopping

2011-05-09T21:22:00.001-07:00

About a month ago, Christopher and I headed out to get his tuxedo picked out for the graduation prom coming up. I must say, he has a fabulous sense of style...he picked everything I would have picked! This is him trying various items on for size, but does not reflect his final choices...

More to come in June!

April Showers & Tulip Flowers

2011-04-21T21:25:00.000-07:00

This is what Abbotsfordians woke up to earlier this week...

My mom, grandma and I braved the cold and went out to find a dose of spring time in La Conner.

Tulips are my favourite flower, so I was basically in heaven all day long!

Here are a few of my favourite pics from the day...

My grandma noticed tulips growing on the branches of one of the trees in the garden.

Loooove this old barn at the back of the tulip field...

Puerto Vallarta continued...

2011-04-05T15:42:00.000-07:00

The grounds of our resort were great! We happened to be there the week before all the other spring-breakers showed up so we always had our pick of lounge chairs by the pool and never had to wait for drinks. We spent our days boogy boarding and playing in the waves, splashing around in the pool and just sitting around and listening to the tunes....pure bliss!

A little over to the left please....

My handsome boys....

O'Donnell Family Vacation 2011

On the bus taking us out to the plane to go home. :(

I was definitely made for the sunshine and can't wait for our next trip!

Spring Break in Puerto Vallarta

2011-04-04T19:50:00.000-07:00

After a long hard year of studying for me and Christopher getting ready to graduate from high school, a family vacation was in order for spring break. We chose Puerto Vallarta because we found a great deal, the flight was direct out of Abbotsford, and I have never heard anything but good things about it. The weather was absolutely beautiful every day and that was my number one requirement for a great trip!

Of course, the anticipation is half the fun....the boys waiting at our local airport.

Our first night there we watched the show, had a few drinks and had lots of laughs since Kenton was absolutely hyper!

Chris played volleyball every day!

I know....I had to have a picture of it as proof...Christopher is reading a book!

Hot stuff!!

More hot stuff!!

Kenton relaxing...I know...hard to believe, right?

More fave pics to come!

Disappointment

2011-02-07T18:20:00.002-08:00

Ahhhh....the bitter pill of disappointment...doesn't happen to me often and I know it won't last long, but alas...here it is. We received our preceptorship placements at the end of last week and let's just say I was disappointed in more ways than just one. Preceptorship is where we buddy up with a nurse and aren't under the constant scrutinization of an instructor. Our preceptor shows us the ropes and we gradually do her workload just as if we were an employee. We meet with an instructor a few times along the way to discuss the nurse's evaluation of us. Now, I have gotten excellent grades the entire year and had glowing evaluations from all of my instructors, so I was expecting to be given a placement that would challenge me and further my learning experience. I also was hoping not to be placed somewhere too far from home, as I have a bad habit of falling asleep at the wheel....ummm....is that a bad habit or a medical condition??
Sooo...I have ended up in a long term care facility...in Surrey! That means an hour long drive to just hand out pills...not the challenge I had in mind. Thankfully, I am a positive person and choose to believe that somehow in this God has a plan in mind. So, this will be a pill that I can swallow and will make me a better person and nurse at the end of it.

Christmas Recap

2011-01-04T18:03:00.001-08:00

Before I get started on the new year ahead, I thought I'd do a quick recap of Christmas. It was a bit different this year, as I had to work for four hours in the morning. It wasn't all that bad, as the boys are at the age they appreciate sleeping in. As soon as I got home we got started. Christopher assumed his usual position...under a blanket in a horizontal position, Kenton was excited about his chocolate-scented Axe body wash, Chris got a skookum snowmobile helmut, and I got a new Coach purse (snuck home by my hubby from a previous Black Friday shopping excursion).

2011-01-04T18:03:00.000-08:00

The previous evening, we had our traditional Christmas Eve appie-fest at my parents'. The whole fam was there, so it was a great evening. We opened presents tonight because my brother and his girlfriend were heading back to Vancouver first thing in the morning.

It was so much fun to watch my nieces open their presents, and then laughing at a puppet show that my dad put on with their gifts. It was also great fun to see my mom after a few glasses of wine...

Finally!

2010-11-23T09:57:00.005-08:00

This past week I got up the courage to do something I have been thinking about for at least a year now. I figured if I was still thinking about it a year later and didn't just go and do it, I never would. So...I went out and got my nose pierced!

It took my husband about half an hour to notice and my kids didn't notice for a few days! My mom and brother noticed right aways at a family dinner and my dad took awhile, even after we all made it plainly obvious.

It's still taking me a bit to get used to, but I think it suits me and looks pretty good. Hopefully I don't look like an old lady trying to look young...the guy who pierced me said it was nice to pierce an "older" person because there wasn't all the drama...lol!

Father's Day Camping

2010-07-04T19:12:00.003-07:00

On Father's Day weekend this year, we went camping with a bunch of friends just off the road at the Carolin Mines exit. This bunch is in to quading and dirt biking, so I learned to drive a quad and Kenton gave the dirt bike a whirl. I wish I had gotten a pic of the man who has been bed ridden for the past three weeks doing pop-a-wheelies up the hill! Boys will be boys....

On our second evening there we had one heck of a mountain storm come in...thankfully it didn't last too long. Since it was Father's Day most of the ladies dreamt up activities for the dads to do with their kids, one being the kids having to feed their dad with a blind fold on. This one was obviously one of the favourites.

What a great time with old friends and new friends! I also wouldn't be a bit surprised if a few more "toys" find their way in to my garage in the next year or so...

Sleepless in Seattle

2010-07-04T17:23:00.003-07:00

One day Dana and I were discussing shopping in Seattle and I happened to mention that I had never been! It was decided right then and there that we would pack up and go the very next weekend. We spent hours shopping in Macy's, had a beautiful view from our hotel room, had dinner down at the water, went to Pike's market, visited the Space Needle and had dinner at Red Lobster one night. We packed a lot of fun in to one weekend!

This is one of the best drinks I've had in a long time, if not ever! It was a pina coloda with strawberry swirling through it....Yummy!!

Day Trip to La Conner

2010-07-04T17:13:00.004-07:00

On one of our rare nice days this spring, my mom, grandma, aunt and uncle went out to La Conner for the day. I believe this was my first time in going. There were tulips as far as the eye could see...and apparently in other years there has been even more! Tulips are my favourite flower, so I was in heaven. :) We went for a nice lunch out on the patio and then went to one more farm. It was my favourite because instead of just rows of tulips they had it set up as a beautiful garden. We treated ourselves to some ice cream and then it was time to call it a day and head back home. Definitely something to make an annual day trip!

One of my favourite things....RED tulips!!

The O'Donnells Visit Whistler

2010-07-04T17:00:00.005-07:00

Dana's gift to Chris for his birthday was a family trip to Whistler for the weekend. The suite was stayed in was absolutely gorgeous and we had a such a great time. We went out for dinner to an Irish Pub, walked around the village and enjoyed a Starbucks one of the evenings. There was a half pipe contest going on, so we also took that in for awhile. We were in awe when we went in to the hot tub one evening and discovered that where else except in beautiful British Columbia could you sit in a hot tub and be surrounded by daffodils and have a mountain of snow as your backdrop?! Sadly, I don't have pics of it on my computer...so these will have to do.

Whistler is definitely one of my all-time favourite places to get away! Thank you so much for your generous gift Dana!

Olympic Mania!

2010-07-04T16:43:00.003-07:00

When you think of February 2010 in Vancouver, you've got to think of the Olympics. I think our country did a fantastic job of hosting this year. I don't think I've ever felt as patriotic, especially when our men won the gold in hockey. That game couldn't have been better if it was scripted! We had a few of our favourite people over to experience the game...my parents and Chris's parents. What a fun day!

At one point, we all took turns getting our picture taken in front of the TV with our boys flying our flag...here is Kenton's turn to get a bit silly. :)

Annual Girls Ski Trip

2010-07-04T12:16:00.006-07:00

Every February for the last four years, four of us gals have packed up our gear and become ski bunnies for the weekend. There is always good fun, food, laughs and wine involved! This year we rented a lovely condo right at the base of Mount Baker for three nights. One night we went out for burger and beers at Graham's, which is really the only place to go out there. The other nights we all contribute something and usually end up eating like kings, in this case like queens. :) We stay up and talk about all sorts of things...the men in our lives, scriptures, dreams of the future, hurts of the past...everything. We all definitely look forward to our annual ski trip! The weather did not cooperate this year, but we were determined to have fun anyways...you can see us trying to have a tail gate party in a blizzard. That's just the type of gals we are...we make fun out of anything and everything!

We also had extra fun this year showing our Olympic pride!

Chris Turns 40!

2010-07-04T11:54:00.005-07:00

February was a busy month...mostly with planning Chris's surprise casino party for his 40th birthday. As far as I know, he really was surprised and everyone had a great time because they were talking about it for days afterwards. My cousin Paul and my brother Scott were our dealers and they did a great job. One of the hi-lites of the evening was my gift to Chris...the movie montage of his life so far that I worked on for hours, days and weeks. Unfortunately, I could not get it burned on to a CD, nor could we get it to play on the TV (even with all the techies in the house!), so we all piled in to the computer room to watch.

Here is a little glimpse in to the last 40 years of Chris's life....

Wishing you lots of happiness in the next 40 years!

Busy Times!

2010-07-03T15:00:00.002-07:00

Wow! Once again, I have let my blogging slip and haven't blogged since January! I really do enjoy blogging, but I've been a little short on time these days. I'm really loving school and am currently doing my first practicum over at Peace Arch Hospital. We are learning so much every day...on the job experience and doing lots and lots of research! My plan is to go back and share a few special milestones from over the last few months and then try to keep up with all the summer madness ahead!

Hockey Night in Abbotsford!

2010-01-18T14:16:00.001-08:00

I've been trying to mix a little fun in with all my studying, so when my dad asked me to go to one of the biggest games of the season, I definitely said "yes". It was my first chance to see the new sports complex that Abbotsford built last year. I was really impressed and thought it was well done. Dad and I had planned to check out the new restaurant next door as well, but apparently everyone in Abbotsford had the same great idea and there was a line up out the door! We were told that if we weren't in the first half of the line we would not be served before the start of the game. That meant we proceeded to Plan B. We grabbed a burger and fries at the concession, and it was good!

Now it was time to watch the warm up and get all psyched to watch the Manitoba Moose (the Canucks farm team) face off against the Abbotsford Heat.

Father and Daughter bonding time...I had a great time with you Dad!!

My dad surprised me with this Abbotsford Heat scarf last night...he must have noticed how much I liked it, but they were sold out the night we went...I love it!

Back to School!

2010-01-07T19:14:00.005-08:00

This week I embarked on a new adventure...well, two really.

Firstly, after 15 years, I have become a student once again. On Tuesday I started the Licensed Practical Nurse program. This means for the next year and a bit I will be attending classes at Vancouver Community College. It feels good to know that I am doing something to challenge and improve myself. It's going to be so much work, especially since I will still be working part time and hope to see my family and friends once in a while, but I know it will be worth it next year!

The view from campus window...

The biggest adventure for me this week has been the commute. From my front door to the school's front door is about 2 hours! I drive to Mission, then take the West Coast Express. Once I get to Waterfront in Vancouver I hop on to two different skytrains before I get to the campus. So far, it's been kind of exciting navigating my way through the big city. I really feel like a professional traveller since my books are so heavy that I have to use a suitcase on wheels to lug them around!

I'm sure the novelty will wear off quickly...but for now I'm just enjoying the journey!

Run For Water

2009-11-02T11:45:00.004-08:00

Just one last update from an event this spring/summer and then hopefully I'll be able to find something interesting and current.

One of Kenton's favourite sports is track and running. I also took up running a few years back, although I've been doing it less and less lately, so it was time Kenton and I entered an event together. The Run For Water was perfect...it was 10k, in Abbotsford and was for a great cause.

Camping Trip #3

2009-10-03T18:45:00.003-07:00

Camping Trip #3 was a girls-only camping trip. There were supposed to be four of us, but two weren't able to make it, so it ended up being just Dana and I. No problem there, since we are the life of the party anyways!
We stayed at Golden Ears Provincial Park...beautiful!! This is definitely a park I plan to camp at again, in fact I plan to make all my reservations here next summer. A beautiful lake, secret little spots in the woods, hiking, trails and lots of trees!
We went for a good long hike every day, played games and enjoyed crantinis...so relaxing and fun...just what us girls needed.

Dana and I on one of our daily hikes

One of our secret spots...a beautiful creek set back in the woods

The bridge between campsites...we definitely stayed in one of the nicer ones!

Can't wait to do it all again next year!

Camping Trip #2

2009-09-30T07:18:00.003-07:00

The second camping trip we did this year happened to be during our biggest heat wave of the year. This means no fires and many trips to the Lake throughout the day. My brother and his wife just bought a tent trailer this year, so we went out to Rolley Lake with them. I've been wanting to camp here for awhile now and really liked it. The lake was a nice temperature and size for swimming in, although the beach was a little bit rocky. We love provincial campsites...they don't offer power, but all the big trees and space make it so beautiful. I hope this camping trip turns into an annual event because I had a great time!

The men planning out something...

The kids...probably waiting to go to the lake

Scott, Krystie, Peyton and Zoe chowing down

Awww...Christopher and his little cousin, Peyton

Everyone's cutie...Zoe

Camping Trip #1

2009-09-28T13:59:00.003-07:00

The highlight of my summer is always our camping trips. The biggest one (and the best) is when we go camping with the Larnder family. This year we went to Maple Bay out at Cultus Lake. There are some things that are guaranteed when we all get together...such as laughing, card playing and a nice slushy drink, or two...
Other things, such as going to the beach and having a fire, depend on the weather. This year we were lucky enough to do both.

Heading to the beach

Chris tossing the frisbee around

Me and Kenton relaxing on our floaties

Christopher and his friend Dylan eating breakfast

Our annual round of mini golf

Well, that's a quick overview of Camping Trip #1. Can't wait to do it again next year!

Getting Back Into It

2009-09-22T08:10:00.003-07:00

Well, now that summer is over and everyone is getting back to being on a schedule, it's time to make an attempt at this blogging thing again. I'm in the process of getting some of my recent pics downloaded and then hope to do a bit of a recap of our summer. Hope to see you soon!

My BFF

2009-07-03T20:38:00.000-07:00

It always amazes me how there can be one person in your life who you will not be in touch with for weeks at a time, but when you finally meet up again, wether it be in person, online or via telephone, it's like time hasn't gone by at all since the last time. That would perfectly describe the relationship between myself and my Best Friend since childhood. I try to always be a positive, happy person, but in those rare moments when I feel discouraged or a little down there is one person who can always bring not only a smile to my face, but a laugh into the room. She is a happy, positive, easy-going, giving, loving, inspiring, Godly woman...and she is my BFF...Sonya. Thanks for all the great times girl, and to many, many more!! ;)

Adventures in Babysitting

2009-03-28T13:33:00.001-07:00

This weekend, one of my cousins is getting married in Vegas. My brother was asked to be in the wedding party, so I volunteered to look after my two little nieces. They are three and one. So far, they've been perfect angels...

Baking!

2009-03-28T13:23:00.004-07:00

We've done a fair bit of baking in the last few days...chocolate chip cookies, banana bread and peanut butter cookies. The boys have said they wouldn't mind if their cousins came over more often!

Extra! Extra!

2009-03-14T09:19:00.008-07:00

This morning when you open up your papers, you will see a familiar face.
It was like Christmas morning for Kenton when he went to the front door to grab the morning paper. :)
On Thursday morning, I went to take Kenton to the Abbotsford News office to submit his speech as a letter to the editor. I hadn't even been home for five minutes when the phone rang and a voice said, "This is Vicki Hopes from the Abbotsford News and we'd like to do an exclusive interview with Kenton." It was explained to him that if he decided to do the exclusive, he could not submit his letter to all the other papers...it didn't take him long to decide!
So, off we went to the News office for Kenton's interview. Later that afternoon, they sent a photographer by to shoot a few pictures. They wanted the shot by the cameras since Kenton mentions it in his speech, so to get a good shot Kenton had to stand on the photographers Jeep. It was very interesting.
We were out for the day when the article was posted to the internet, but when we got home there was a message from Global TV asking if they could do an interview.

*Since then, Kenton has been on the front page of the Province and has met MP Ed Fast and Senator Yonah Martin. Way to go Kenton!

"Bacon is nice...but these guys are not..."

2009-03-08T20:24:00.002-07:00

This year, for Grade 6 speeches, my eleven-year old's topic was "The Notorious Bacons". He made it to the quarter-finals, which meant that he presented his speech to the entire gymnasium. He received a beautiful ribbon for his efforts and caught the attention of a few influential persons in our city. A few of our local law enforcement officers heard his speech and asked to forward it to the chief of police and also asked him if he would please consider forwarding it to all the local newspapers, including the Vancouver Province and Sun. We are extremely proud of him!

Tonight, at Sunday dinner, he got up the courage to ask our personal surveillance/swat/bodyguard team for a photo-op!

Believing God

2009-02-23T21:13:00.002-08:00

Tonight I skipped Book Club and went to a bible study I was invited to. It's a ten week program of watching a series of DVD's by Beth Moore and working through a workbook. The homework looks really intense, but good. There is 5 lessons to be done each week, each one taking approximately one hour! In the past, I haven't really enjoyed bible studies, but I'm really optimistic that this will be a good experience. After all, life is all about the experience and this year's goal is to challenge myself! I'll keep you all updated....and I welcome any input any of you have for me. :)

Happy Birthday Chris!

2009-02-18T19:05:00.001-08:00

Today I want to wish my husband, Chris, a very Happy 39th Birthday!
Love you lots!!

( This is the delicious tuxedo cake we had... )

Beautiful!

2009-02-16T19:31:00.003-08:00

My Valentine's flowers looked too beautiful sitting on the counter in the sunshine not to share with everyone!

Happy Valentine's Day!

2009-02-14T19:53:00.003-08:00

Our Valentine's Day was just a nice, ordinary Saturday. Something I haven't had in awhile. I worked for a few hours this morning, then went to watch Kenton play soccer. It was soooo cold out there! Later on, I went for a run since it was so nice and sunny out. I definitely warmed up quickly. :) After a warm shower, I caught up on all my blogs, then it was time to make dinner. I had bought steaks earlier in the week, so I had saved them for tonight. Along with potatoes, mushrooms, yorkshire puddings and some veggies...it was the perfect dinner. Now Chris has gone to drop the kids off at friends' and get me some chocolate! I'm looking forward to a nice, quiet evening....

My sweethearts....

Third Annual Girls Ski Trip

2009-02-10T18:32:00.005-08:00

This weekend four of us girls went on our third annual ski trip. The past two years, we have gone to Manning, but this year we went to Baker. I love Baker!

We rented a condo in Glacier, Washington, which is less than 30 minutes away from the top of the mountain and about 30 minutes away from home. How much more perfect can you get? The condo complex had a pool and hot tub too.

We left on Friday around lunch and headed down to Bellis Fair to pick up some new running shoes, then we headed back to Glacier and checked in. Later, we went for dinner at a little restaurant attached to the local corner store, then went back to sit around and chat over a few glasses of wine before turning in early for the night.

The weather on Saturday was absolutely gorgeous. What a perfect day of skiing! We even accomplished a few black diamond runs since the conditions were so great. On Sunday, two of us went skiing, while the others decided to take it easy. :) It was another great day...beautiful weather, great fellowship, and a few new undiscovered runs.

Next year's trip promises to be even better!

Ms. Independence

2009-02-06T07:00:00.003-08:00

The last few days I've been busy learning little things that I've always wanted to know how to do by myself. My husband is the computer whiz around here, so whenever I've needed something I've just asked him to do it for me. But the last few days, I've had to learn on my own and I'm glad.
One of the projects I've been wanting to find time for is arranging all our photos from the trip with took with the kids last year and making it into a movie. It took me about a day and half to scan in a bunch of pics, arrange them, put in transitions and then set it all to music. I've already done a power point presentation, so the movie wasn't anything new, but burning it to a cd was an accomplishment.
Another thing I've never done myself, unbelievably for nowadays, is download songs to my mp3 player. It actually was really easy. I've learned a lot about limewire and where your songs get stored on your hard drive and all the rest.
So, that's what I've been up to the last few days. I love this little machine more and more each day...

A Rebel At Heart

2009-02-01T21:12:00.005-08:00

Well, now that NaBloPoMo is finished, I was going to be rebellious and not post tonight, just because I don't have to...but I wanted to!

A few weeks back, Sonya had this on her blog and now it's time for me to make good on my part of the bargain...

Be one of the first 3 people to leave a comment on this post, and I will send you a handmade gift! How much fun does that sound? You then need to post the Pay It Forward challenge on your own blog and make a gift also for your first 3 commenters and so on it goes. :) The gift can be in any price range you like and you have 365 days to send it.

I've always been a great fan of this movie and the entire concept, so my goal is to do a Random Act of Kindness once a month and blog about it. Sound like something the rest of you would like to get in on? Can't wait to hear all about it!

I Made It!

2009-01-31T23:20:00.002-08:00

I've always been known as a random blogger, so I'm extremely proud of myself that I blogged everyday this month...and I've got to say that I really enjoyed it. Of course, there were nights I didn't really feel in the mood, or I was too tired, but it was a great accomplishment. I look forward to being a more consistent blogger in the future and making many more friends.

Ten Things I Like...

2009-01-30T16:23:00.011-08:00

Ten Things I Like that Start with "D"....

1. Daisies...they are one of my favourite flowers.

2. Dawn and Dusk...and anything else that has to do with the sun.

3. Donuts...I love them way too much for my own good.

4. Dad...he's a great guy!

5. Diamonds...and any other bling.

6. Dance shows...I know...pretty corny, but I love them!

7. Dark chocolate...any kind of chocolate really...

8. Dana...she's a great friend of mine. :)

9. Decorating...interior, Christmas, etc.

10. My favourite colour ends with "D"...red!

I'm Tired!

2009-01-29T22:23:00.003-08:00

My back is throbbing,
My head is bobbing.
My skin is bumpy,
I'm feeling kinda' lumpy.
My eyes are puffy,
My hair's lookin' scruffy.
My mind is in a fog...
so that's it for tonight's blog!

Domestic Day

2009-01-28T19:32:00.004-08:00

Today, I had the day off and spent it doing domestic chores. (I did sneak in a quick lunch with my mom though) Actually, every once in awhile I really enjoy being able to play the "stay-at-home mom" role. I turned on "Regis and Kelly" and "The View", although I didn't actually watch much, and proceeded to do a bunch of laundry, vacuum, bake banana bread and make an old favourite for dinner.

My dad used to make goulash after church on Sundays...goulash being shredded potatoes and onions with eggs cracked over top. I hadn't had it for years, so decided to make it with italian sausage added in and cheese melted on top. I thought it turned out pretty good.

Now I'm going to go finish off my day by watching some TV and sampling my yummy banana bread. I've been told my recipe is a good one, so I'm going to share it with you.

Banana Bread

1 cup white sugar

1 1/2 cup flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1 egg

dash of salt

splash of vanilla

3 medium bananas

1/2 cup margarine

Bake at 350 for 1 hour. Enjoy!

Sebastian

2009-01-26T21:47:00.003-08:00

Our new kitty, Sebastian, has definitely been making himself at home. The first few days we got him, he was scared of us. Now he searches us out to pet and cuddle him, and we're usually happy to oblige! He has also become very playful...

Handy Girl

2009-01-26T21:39:00.003-08:00

Today I finally bought a bookshelf that I've had my eye on for a few weeks now. I'm so excited because I don't think I've ever had a bookshelf since we've been married. I fell in love with it instantly. As soon as I got home, I set to work putting it together...all by myself. All the books on my bedside table inspired me to set it up in the corner of my bedroom.

Love Is...

2009-01-25T22:04:00.003-08:00

Love is very patient and kind,
never jealous or envious,
never boastful or proud,
never haughty or selfish or rude.
Love does not demand its own way.
It is not irritable or touchy.
It does not hold grudges and will hardly even notice
when others do it wrong.
It is never glad about injustice,
but rejoices whenever truth wins out.
If you love someone you will be loyal to him no matter what the cost.
You will always believe in him,
always expect the best of him,
and always stand your ground in defending him.
All the special gifts and powers from God will someday come to an end,
but love goes on forever.

I Corinthians 13:4-8
The Living Bible

Where The Sidewalk Ends

2009-01-24T14:27:00.001-08:00

When I was in elementary school, one of my favourite books was "Where The Sidewalk Ends", a collection of poetry by Shel Silverstein. A few years back, I noticed it in one of the boys' Scholastic Book Orders, so I bought it for myself. Here's a favourite...

Sick

"I cannot go to school today,"

Said little Peggy Ann McKay.

"I have the measles and the mumps,

A gash, a rash and purple bumps.

My mouth is wet, my throat is dry,

I'm going blind in my right eye.

My tonsils are as big as rocks,

I've counted sixteen chicken pox

And there's one more-that's seventeen,

And don't you think my face looks green?

My leg is cut, my eyes are blue-

It might be instamatic flu.

I cough and sneeze and gasp and choke,

I'm sure that my left leg is broke-

My hip hurts when I move my chin,

My bellybutton's caving in,
My back is wrenched, my ankle's sprained,

My 'pendix pains each time it rains.

My nose is cold, my toes are numb,

I have a sliver in my thumb.

My neck is stiff, my voice is weak,

I hardly whisper when I speak.

My tongue is filling up my mouth,

I think my hair is falling out.

My elbow's bent, my spine ain't straight,

My temperature is one-o-eight.

My brain is shrunk, I cannot hear,

There is a hole inside my ear.

I have a hangnail, and my heart is-what?

What's that? What's that you say?

You say today is....Saturday?

G'bye, I'm going out to play!"

Thank you!

2009-01-23T23:06:00.001-08:00

I just wanted to say "thank you" to a fellow blogger. You inspired me to do the NaBloPoMo challenge, you've passed along many insightful posts and tonight I watched a wonderful movie that you suggested a few weeks ago. This evening I watched "The Ultimate Gift" with a friend. We both agreed that it was one of the best movies we have seen in a long time.
I'm really thankful for the opportunities this blog has given to me...growing friendships and sharing and affirming thoughts with other women. I've discovered that this blogging thing is really something special and worthwhile! Thank you. :)

Deep Thoughts

2009-01-22T20:36:00.011-08:00

As a teenager, we used to love to watch Saturday Night Live. For some reason, the other day Jack Handey and his "Deep Thoughts" came to mind. I recently decided to google this topic and discovered that Jack Handey is a real person. He was born in San Antonio, Texas on Feb. 25, 1949. He is a humorist known for his one-liners. He worked for a newspaper, but was fired for offending someone. He then went to work with Steve Martin, which led to him working on SNL. This past April, he published his first collection. Here is are a few samples of Jack Handey's "Deep Thoughts"....

"Maybe in order to understand mankind, we have to look at the word itself: "Mankind". Basically, it's made up of two separate words - "mank" and "ind". What do these words mean ? It's a mystery, and that's why so is mankind."

"Instead of a trap door, what about a trap window? The guy looks out it, and if he leans too far, he falls out. Wait. I guess that's like a regular window."

"Instead of having 'answers' on a math test, they should just call them 'impressions' and it you got a different 'impression' so what, can't we all be brothers?"

"I hope that someday we will be able to put away our fears and prejudices and just laugh at people. "

"I wish I would have a real tragic love affair and get so bummed out that I'd just quit my job and become a bum for a few years, because I was thinking about doing that anyway."

"If trees could scream, would we be so cavalier about cutting them down? We might, if they screamed all the time, for no good reason."

"Better not take a dog on the space shuttle, because if he sticks his head out when you're coming home his face might burn up."

"One thing kids like is to be tricked. For instance, I was going to take my little nephew to Disneyland, but instead I drove him to an old burned-out warehouse. "Oh, no," I said. "Disneyland burned down." He cried and cried, but I think that deep down, he thought it was a pretty good joke. I started to drive over to the real Disneyland, but it was getting pretty late."

As you can see, you definitely need a different sense of humour to enjoy "Deep Thoughts", but I hope at least one or two of these made you smile!

LOST is Back!

2009-01-21T19:10:00.001-08:00

After a long wait, LOST is back tonight! If you haven't been following, here is a cute 5 minute trailer to get you all caught up. Enjoy!

My Best Friend

2009-01-20T16:56:00.006-08:00

Yesterday, I received a gift in the mail from my BFF, Sonya. She sent me a beautiful necklace that she brought back from her cruise vacation. Along with it, was a great card.

This is what it read...

How to be an amazing friend...

listen

hang out

laugh when it's funny

cry when it's sad

remember the good stuff

share dreams

stay true...

be you!

I just want to take this time and tell everyone what an amazing friend Sonya is to me...she is everything the card says, and more! I can always be "me" around her, which is one of the things I love most about her. Here are a few pics of us together throughout the years.

Thanks for the special gift Sonya. I love it! You're the best friend a girl could ever have!

Love As A Way of Life

2009-01-19T20:38:00.003-08:00

I got this new book for Christmas and I can't wait to read it! It was one of the books in my pile of must-reads from an earlier blog. This is what the front jacket cover reads:

What does a love-driven life look like-not just at home, but in friendships, at work, in the church, and in business relationships? And how does the pursuit of authentic love change not only your relationships, but also your life?

In "Love As A Way of Life", Gary Chapman shows how the seven traits of love work together to transform the way you live. Over time, you will learn how to allow love to direct the way you respond to others in every situation. Your interactions with other people-from your spouse or best friend to business associates and casual acquaintances-can have an eternal impact on their lives.

Embark on the daily adventure of loving others. As you do, you will discover new meaning in every aspect of life.

New Easter Candy

2009-01-18T19:46:00.001-08:00

This weekend I was introduced to a new Easter treat...Cadbury Popping Mini Eggs. Now I've seen it all! A mini egg with pop rocks mixed in with the chocolate. The chocolate and the pop rocks get stuck in your teeth and keep popping and crackling for a few seconds after you're done your chocolate treat. I guess it's the treat that keeps on giving!

Mental Health Day

2009-01-17T19:18:00.003-08:00

Today, Dana, Christopher and I went to Mt. Baker to do a little skiing. The weather was absolutely perfect. The conditions weren't perfect...it was really icy in spots and a little slushy in others, but it was just so beautiful being out there in the mountains. When you're out there in the snow with the sun shining all around, feeling the wind in your hair as you go flying down the mountain, it just does something for your mental health.

Organization Update

2009-01-16T22:40:00.003-08:00

The way Chris and I (mostly Chris) have been cleaning house this week, you'd think we were retiring and moving across the country. Chris can not stand clutter and gets rid of absolutely everything...even if it's something brand new and in perfect condition. I've been doing a pretty good job of getting rid of stuff too. We've made a few trips to MCC and the local dump. Closets, cupboards, behind the fridge...nowhere has gone untouched. I must say it feels really good to know that everything has it's place.

This evening I even finished up a sewing project. I had a duvet cover that I had put snaps on years ago and just finally put on a zipper instead. It took me forever, but it's done!

I guess now I can go shopping and make way for some new stuff! ;)

Happy Birthday Peyton!

2009-01-15T22:23:00.003-08:00

Three years ago today, the person I had been waiting years for came into my life...my first little niece, Peyton. She is such a doll and I just LOVE being an Aunty. One of our special things to do together is to go down to the pool. We play for about an hour, sit in the hot tub for a few minutes, and then it's off to McDonald's for a treat. She knows the whole routine off by heart. I look forward to the many more special times we will spend together.

It's Back!

2009-01-14T23:14:00.004-08:00

My mom and I have a tradition of watching certain shows together during the week. At any given time during the year, you will find me on my parents' couch once or twice a week. There are so many good shows coming up, that I will have to be choosy...or else I'll be there every night! For now, we've been watching American Idol, which just started up again last night. Some of our other favourites are Grey's Anatomy, Lost, and So You Think You Can Dance. Luckily, a few of these are on the same night, so we just make a whole evening of it. Our TV nights are starting to get quite the reputation...so I just wanted to thank my Dad for giving up his spot on the couch to his daughter every so often.

Name That Spot

2009-01-13T16:02:00.003-08:00

This week, our family has been playing the "Name That Spot" game. A few days ago, Chris noticed a few spots on his arm. Then the boys discovered that they too have spots. I, did not...until yesterday. We all went to separate walk-in clinics over the last week, and all got different diagnoses. We've been researching our spots online and thought perhaps we had impetigo, but have since come to the conclusion that we are all suffering from....ringworm. I guess our new little Christmas kitty came with more that we bargained for.

Impetigo...

Ringworm....

Kenton's back....

FYI....just so no one is creeped out by us...we're all undergoing treatment and are no longer considered contagious. The boys can go back to school tomorrow and the doc says I can go to work.

Book Club

2009-01-12T22:58:00.004-08:00

It's been about two years now that I've been a part of a book club. My neighbour lady invited me and it seemed like a great way to meet new people and read books that I wouldn't normally read. I haven't been disappointed. It's a great bunch of ladies, some of whom I ended up already knowing from work.

We meet once a month and each take a turn picking a book and hosting at our house. We bring appies and usually have a glass of wine while catching up on each other's kids and new events in our lives.

Our book for December was Dean Koontz's "The Good Guy". It was like reading a movie. It was action packed and I could totally envision it in a theatre near you.

This month's book is "Behind the Scenes at the Museum" by Kate Atkinson. She is a British author, so it should be an interesting read.
I'm also trying to get through this stack of books sitting on my nightstand table. I've already started most of them at some time or another and need to finish them. Some I look forward to reading in the future, perhaps this summer when we take a break from book club. You will notice quite the variety...self-help books, dramatic novels, mysteries and children's novels adapted to the big screen.

If you see anything of interest to you...sit down and have a read and let me know what you think!

God's Creation

2009-01-11T20:21:00.002-08:00

I'm happy to say that I'm in much better spirits today! This evening, after our wonderful Sunday Night Dinner, we decided to pop in a Planet Earth DVD. We bought the series for Chris's dad for Christmas and he made us a copy. I've got to say...I'm a huge fan! I love watching all of God's miracles that he created. It's just not possible to watch Planet Earth and not believe in a Lord of Creation!

I also love the conversations it starts with the kids. During one section, the narrator was explaining how over time this one particular species that lives in caves lost it's eyes because of the dark. Of course we explained that God made the animal this way because it did not need eyes in a dark cave.

This is another great tradition for our family. I definitely recommend a family night of Planet Earth for everyone!

Not In The Mood

2009-01-10T19:22:00.002-08:00

Hey folks...Just got to be honest with you all...I'm just not in the mood to blog tonight, but I'm way too stubborn to not succeed at this month's challenge. This day has just gotten away with me. Work, the gym, the fam...
Tomorrow is a new day, just waiting to be blogged about!

Meet the Fam

2009-01-09T21:54:00.004-08:00

Dad and Mom with their two grand-daughters...

My brother Scott, his wife Krystie and their two little girls.

My two bros, Scott and Matthew...

My three boys!

Guilt

2009-01-08T16:17:00.004-08:00

Ahhh....guilt...that awful feeling that sneaks it's way in to every decision I make. Now, it's not true guilt I struggle with, it's false guilt. A few weeks ago, while locked in my bedroom wrapping presents, I happened to have the radio tuned in to Focus on the Family. Not something I usually listen to, but I was just too lazy to find another station and in a hurry to get lots done. The guest on was R.T. Kendall and he was speaking on Total Forgiveness and the subject of "pseudo" guilt came up. He was totally describing me and, I venture to say, many other moms. Just one example for myself is...when I'm at work I feel guilty that I'm not spending enough time and energy with the kids and Chris and when I'm at home, I feel guilty that I'm not working and contributing financially.
Since hearing the broadcast, I've done some research on the subject. Someone with false guilt has an overactive conscience and as a result is in a constant state of uncertainty. A person driven by false guilt is afraid to let their mind rest for fear they may let their guard down and possibly offend someone. They need to be considered an assest or worthy, a ''good person'', instead of letting someone down and becoming a liability. This guilt is a way of feeling in control.
Now here's the part that impacted me the most...true guilt is easy to deal with...the sin is obvious, we confess it and we are forgiven. False guilt is sinful because it is not from God, it is an idol...we dwell on it and obsess over it, because pride won't accept us being weak. We then suffer from the "martyr syndrome". When we won't forgive ourselves we're doing the devil's work for him.
Dealing with my false guilt is definitely one of the things at the top of my resolutions list for this upcoming year. With a little more time reading and praying I know this is possible.

"Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God,
and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds through Jesus Christ."
Phillipians 4:6-7

Lunch Out With the Girls

2009-01-07T22:02:00.003-08:00

Today, I worked until noon and then met up with my mom , her four sisters and my grandma for lunch. It was my grandpa's birthday, but sadly, he's been gone for just over a year now. We thought we would all meet for lunch to brighten up grandma's day. It's not too often all the girls get together and it was interesting observing how sisters interact, seeing as I grew up with brothers, not sisters. It was definitely a treat and I captured the moment on camera. :)

Keeping in the spirit of blogging about food, here is my lunch...the mega melt...yummy!

Winter Nights

2009-01-06T20:57:00.003-08:00

Now that the holidays are over, and most everything is back to normal, I've discovered I have quite a bit of spare time in the evenings. I know this is a rarity, so I do not take it for granted. Soon, soccer will start up again and then one thing will lead to another and I will be busy all the time again, but for now I'm enjoying having nothing on my "to do" list...nothing to do but have a hot bath, get into my pj's early, read a book, play a DS game, maybe watch a TV show or update my blog. Some nights, I even do all of the above! I'm sure with all our nasty weather lately, more than a few people are looking forward to spring time, and usually I'm one of them, but for now I'm quite content with my winter nights...in fact, I can hear my bed calling me now...

My Bucket List

2009-01-05T19:27:00.002-08:00

I haven't seen the movie yet, but I've always kinda had a bucket list in my mind, only it wasn't called that...it was more like "Things I Want to Do in My Lifetime". Some of the things on my list are realistic goals that I can accomplish and a few are just lofty dreams...a good combination, don't you think?

1. Learn Spanish.
2. Take a photography course.
3. Take a dance class.
4. Take piano lessons.
5. Go on a missions trip.
6. Travel to Europe.
7. Go back to school.
8. Live on a hobby farm.
9. Have a house by the lake.
10. Invent something.
11. Write a book.
12. Be in a movie.
13. Build a dream deck around my hot tub.
14. Learn to fly a plane.

I think this list is a good start, and a few of them I might even try to accomplish this year...This year is all about change and challenges for me, so I challenge each one of you to think of your own bucket list, and perhaps at this time next year we can look back and see all that we have achieved!

Sunday Night Dinner

2009-01-04T20:44:00.005-08:00

For the past few months, we've started a tradition with a dear member of our family. Dana is a mother, grandmother and friend to us all. We decided awhile back to keep these family ties close by having Sunday night dinner together. We've only missed maybe a couple of dinners together since. I'm really thankful for the relationship Dana and I have. She is a wonderful friend and mentor, in every way.

We've discussed getting creative this year by adding more people to the group once in awhile, and maybe even having theme nights. Tonight it was just the five of us, but we did have a bit of a mexican theme going. We enjoyed fajitas, nachos, refried beans, guacamole and all the other great fixings.

Here's to many more Sunday night dinners...

Happy 80th Birthday Grandpa and Grandma!

2009-01-03T22:47:00.008-08:00

This evening, the Klassen family gathered to celebrate both Grandpa and Grandma's 80th birthdays. Grandpa's was on December 29th and Grandma's is on January 14th. It was an evening of great fellowship and wonderful memories. The common theme for everyone was my grandparent's commitment to the Lord and their family. The highlights of the evening were the slide show my cousin prepared, and the surprise copies he made for everyone, and when all of us gathered around my grandparents and prayed over them.

Here are a few pics for you to enjoy...

Thank you Grandpa and Grandma for instilling a love of God and family in your children and grandchildren...Have a very happy 80th Birthday!! We love you lots!

January's Goals

2009-01-02T17:05:00.002-08:00

I suppose goals and resolutions are pretty much the same thing, but I just prefer the word goals. One of them I started on today. I'm glad to have finished the task of cleaning up my tree and Christmas decorations. After cleaning up the aftermath, I got started on going through a bunch of my drawers and cabinets. This leads to my first goal of the new year...

Organization: I'm determined that this year is the year that I am going to declutter my life and my surroundings, even if it means spending some hard earned money on rubbermaids, baskets and anything else helpful.

My next few goals are of a more personal nature.
Things such as to be more patient, more attentive to others, to use my voice to praise people and to just be more positive in general. This will all be accomplished through goal number three...

My number one goal this year is to grow in my relationship with the Lord. He is always on my mind with everything I do, but I need to pray more, read the bible more and just spend more quiet time with God.

This year's trials have made me realize that the relationships you have with others are what life is all about. Happiness, positivity, and fulfillment all come from how you interact with others. This is something I am excited to delve into in a future blog, so stay tuned!

I wish everyone much success as they pursue their goals for the upcoming new year. :)

Happy New Year!

2009-01-01T18:31:00.002-08:00

The first day of a brand new year...a day of reflection on the year past and resolutions for the new year ahead. I'll go into a bit more detail in future blogs, but for now, I just want to ease myself into my first resolution gently...I've decided to participate in NaBloPoMo. Now, I know this will shock some of you, but I figure I've accomplished much bigger goals and there's no rule that says every one of my entries must be witty and long drawn out. So, with that in mind, I'm going to wrap this up for today and make you all wait until tomorrow (and maybe even the next day too) to read all about my reflections and resolutions...

Boxing Day Miracle!

2008-12-26T17:49:00.005-08:00

For those of you who know our family well, you will know that we always have some sort of fiasco or funny story tell. These stories have been affectionately named by all of our close friends as "O'Donnell Stories". They usually involve my husband, Chris and I suppose in an inadvertant way today is no different. Chris always has some project going on and the latest one has been getting all of our speaker wires and home entertainment equipment set up. This would involve a hole in the wall underneath all of our equipment. Fast forward to Kenton and I playing with our new kitty this morning...See where I'm going with this one folks?? You guessed it...before I could even react to what was happening, our brand new Christmas kitty crawled into the hole. This particular wall is connected to another wall in our bedroom by our ensuite shower. We knocked on all the walls, hoping to scare kitty to come out, to no avail. After about 20 minutes, we no longer heard the kitty meowing in response to our knocks. We all were a pretty sad bunch trying to figure out what we were going to do. We finally decided that the only thing to be done was to cut a hole in the wall behind our dresser and see if we could see anything there. Finally, we heard another meow, but unfortunately kitty was stuck in the very spot Chris had hoped that he wasn't. Christopher had to poke the kitty from one side of the wall, while Chris tried to pull the kitty out by his tail on the other side. Finally, our new little baby was saved! What a miracle!

Christmas Gift!

2008-12-25T22:40:00.001-08:00

I have been trying to get my hands on a special gift for my family for a week or so now, but things just weren't working out. By Christmas Eve day, I had given up hope, but lo and behold, I finally found just what I was looking for...It was delivered to us on Christmas Day...

Opening Presents

2008-12-25T21:25:00.002-08:00

Just thought I'd share a couple of pics of the boys opening their presents...and their different styles of doing so....

An eleven year old opening his present...

A teenager opening his present....

Merry Christmas Eve!

2008-12-24T22:20:00.001-08:00

Merry Christmas Eve everybody! All of us O'Donnells are enjoying a wonderful white Christmas. The snow started falling on Christmas Eve early in the morning and hasn't let up much since. My family all met up at my parents' a little earlier than usual on Christmas Eve, due to church being cancelled because of the snow. While we were waiting for all of our favourite appies in the oven, we took turns taking Dad's snowmobile out for a spin. What a perfect thing to do on Christmas Eve...go for a sleigh ride!

Christmas Is Coming!

2008-12-05T20:27:00.001-08:00

My favourite time of year is soon upon us.
Here are some treasures...new and old...

My pics don't do these cuties justice...I got the penguin from Chris and the boys for my birthday, and I had bought the hedgehog earlier.

This is another birthday present from my favourite store, Home Sense. He's a black beaded reindeer. So cute!

Each Christmas season, each little critter or decoration becomes a part of the family to me. :)

Night Out On The Town! Part I

2008-11-22T15:41:00.000-08:00

Last night, I got to relive an amazing experience from my teen years with two of my favourite girls. (No pun intended...well, ok, maybe...) We headed off to Vancouver to see the New Kids on the Block. Years ago, it was my parents who drove us in, but this time around it was our husbands.

Sonya and I both have birthdays coming up, so there was lots of celebrating to be done. We sat in the back seat of the car and exchanged birthday gifts and Christmas gifts. Do we know how to party or what?!

Here is Sonya showing off her birthday gift from me...a book of chocolate and a beautiful plate to show off her wares...

We were all getting pretty hungry, so we went for an early dinner to the Mongolian grill. Here's my bowl creation....yummy!

We still had quite a bit of time to kill, so after stopping by Costco for a quick errand ;) , we stopped for a coffee at Starbucks....mmmmm.......

I could definitely get used to this lifestyle...and the concert hadn't even started yet!

Night Out On The Town! Part II

2008-11-22T15:39:00.004-08:00

After our treat at Starbucks, it was time for what us three girls had been looking forward to for a very long time....the New Kids on the Block concert at GM Place!!
The boys (or should I say Grown Men) :) did a few songs from the middle of the stadium. We had really good seats and could see them quite well in the middle and on the main stage.

Here's Barb and Sonya having fun!!

The boys did a good mix of all our old faves and some of our new ones. This is my favourite pic of them....probably because it turned out the best.

It was a dream evening all around and I look forward to doing it all again someday...maybe even sooner than later....;)

He's Baaack....

2008-10-28T21:27:00.002-07:00

On Sunday afternoon, I got the most dreaded phone call....Charlie's new owners decided that he wouldn't be a good fit for their family. He didn't even last 48 hours! This was especially disappointing because I had just spent the entire weekend washing all our bedding and every single throw blanket in our house. Just five minutes before the phone call, I had spent an hour and a half vacuuming my couches and getting them to look just like new.
So we are once again the owners of a rambunctious Jack Russell Terrier...free to a good (any) home.

Goodbye Charlie...

2008-10-25T23:00:00.001-07:00

Last night, we said goodbye to our dear little Charlie. Charlie came to live with us this spring, when his intended home with Chris's grandparents didn't work out. Kenton has always been an animal lover, and Chris too, so we thought we'd give it a try. What a cutie Charlie was! Unfortunately, it turned out that our lives were not condusive to a Jack Russell terrier. These dogs are extremely hyper and high maintenance. This does not work well in a family that is already extremely busy. With both of us working and the boys having busy social lives, Charlie was in need of attention that we could not give him. His behavior started to escalate to the point that we knew he deserved a better home. Chris put out an ad yesterday afternoon and by the evening he was on his way home with his new family. The mom is a stay-at-home mom, and they have two little girls. They fell in love with him instantly. Kenton was upset with us and cried a few big crocodile tears, but he's already coming around and accepting that we did the right thing. Hopefully Charlie is loved at his new home and we'll have our memories of him in our hearts forever.

Something New....

2008-10-20T20:28:00.002-07:00

Today, when catching up on some of my favourite blogs, I was inspired to change my template. This is something I had wanted to do when I started blogging again in September, but didn't have time to surf the net for a site that offered something I liked. I'd like to thank Sonya and all her blog buddies for doing the leg work for me and finding a new look for my blog. It ended up being really easy once I figured out how to update blogger so that I could make the changes. I hope my new template inspires me to be more faithful to blogging. I guess only time will tell!

Beachwood in September

2008-10-03T16:02:00.003-07:00

This post is getting out a little later than I had hoped, but I haven't been feeling 100% this week.
It's gotten to be a tradition that my mom and I go to Beachwood every September. I think it probably has something to do with the fact that my dad goes fishing every September. We always have a really great time shopping, eating good food, watching movies and laughing. This trip was no exception. Mom even let me snap a picture of her at the till when I told her that I was taking up blogging again.

Here is a picture of our biggest weakness at Bellis Fair...Auntie Anne's almond pretzel with caramel dipping sauce...mmmmm.....

This is CJ's Beach House...it's become one of our favourite for dinner. They have great burgers, fish and chips, and many other scrumptious meals.

Sorry...I took a few bites of my dinner before I remembered to take a pic...this is the special of the day...seafood pasta with alfredo sauce....yummy!

The sunset at Birch Bay is always beautiful....

Well, there's another great weekend with my mom. Thanks for a great time!

Unexpected Gift

2008-09-26T08:03:00.002-07:00

This week I received two gifts, in the form of having two unexpected days off. I've been on call at the hospital extended care unit for over 13 years now, and can generally count on working any and every day that I want to but, for some unforseen reason, this week I just didn't get called for a couple of days. I feel so spoiled that I only worked two days this week. It's amazing how rejuvenated I feel. The thing is I should have been accomplishing all the little tasks that I always think "If I had some extra time off, I could get this and that done". I did catch up on some visiting and cleaned out Kenton's closet, but mostly I just enjoyed the little things like being able to take my boys to school myself in the morning. By Monday morning I should be good and ready to get back to the ol' grind...

Anniversary

2008-09-17T23:31:00.001-07:00

Well, here I am. Making a comeback on the one year anniversary of my last blog entry. Maybe this could become an annual thing....Everyone could stay tuned once a year for Heather's annual blog. That would make it so much more special, the anticipation would drive people wild.

I suppose, though, the pressure of that would be even greater than just trying to come up with something interesting a couple of times a week.

I generally think of my "New Year" as being in September. For me, that's the time for new starts and a time for reflecting on the past. I missed blogging about some really great events this last year. Let me see...I've lost some weight, the boys have gotten bigger, Sonya and I went to see Jon Bon Jovi, I got a better time in the Sun Run, we took the boys to the Dominican on a family trip, Chris changed jobs, I took Biology so that I can apply to the LPN program, we went on a couple of great camping trips this summer and now suddenly another year is gone and a new one is in the waiting. This year promises to bring a whole new series of experiences to blog about. I hope I can meet the challenge....if not, I guess I'll see you next year.........

Back to Reality...

2007-09-17T20:16:00.000-07:00

Well, I don't really have much to blog about, but, quite frankly, I'm getting sick of seeing my last entry pop up whenever I'm checking out other people's blogs. School is back in and the boys seem to be really happy. Kenton got the teacher he was hoping for, Ms. Ritchie, who was a teacher at North Pop way back when I was in elementary school. Christopher went off to high school and loves the idea of not being stuck with a teacher all day if he happens to not like them. And I'm sure all the hot high school girls are a bonus too.
The wind is slowly cooling, the leaves are falling and I am ready for fall. Ready for long hot soaks in the tub, fireplaces, warm blankets, reading good books and watching movies. And, I suppose, maybe a little blogging here and there.

Weekend with Mom

2007-07-31T19:27:00.000-07:00

This weekend, my mom and I went down to Birch Bay together. We did a bit of shopping, sat by the pool and in the pool with our floaties, and laughed a lot!

On Friday night, we went over to Semiahmoo Resort for dinner.

I had fish and chips....the fich of the day was halibut...

What a great evening!!

Part II

2007-07-31T19:18:00.000-07:00

Okay, I know my mom secretly reads my blog, so I hope she's not really offended when I tell everyone how she got me hooked on Coronas. I don't usually like beer, but on a really hot day, it's actually pretty good.

Here, we decided to get a bit silly and took a few photos of "Woody" enjoying a nice cold one too!

Mom cooked us up a terrific feast of steak, baked potato, and a great new Asian salad that is absolutely delish!

Thanks for a great weekend Mom!!

Camp Squeah

2007-07-15T21:10:00.000-07:00

This evening, we dropped Kenton off at camp. This is his first year at camp. I know he'll love it, because he is such a social butterfly. I don't think he even said "goodbye" to us!

Kenton was put in a cabin with a couple of buddies from school and two new boys who will be his friends by Friday, no doubt.

Of course, you've gotta pick the top bunk!

Old friends and new friends....

'Bye Mom and Dad!

Have a good time Kenton! See you Friday!

Camping at Deer Lake

2007-07-03T10:40:00.000-07:00

This weekend, we went on our first camping trip of the summer... to Deer Lake. We had never been here before, but enjoyed it very much. The sites are very secluded from one another and the lake was great. The kids did a lot of fishing, as you can see.

I was amazed at how fast all the organizing of camping comes back to you. Once we got there, all we had to do was relax. It was great being able to take a nap in the trailer quietly while all the kids are busy playing around, sitting by the fire. The only sad part is we don't have another trip planned until August long weekend, but maybe something will come up before then.

2007-07-03T10:31:00.000-07:00

...And my favourite part of camping....
is for the boys to do the dishes!

Can't you see just how much Christopher loves to do the dishes?
What a ham!