Wow-life getting in the way of blogging! Lots happening, no spare time, as usual. What is up? Well, I will tell you....

New job, extremely time consuming learning a very different role, getting my brain to work in different ways. I have yet another new role to take on, it is alot in such a short time. I am still getting used to the fact that MB and BC are behind ON, but I am adjusting each time. I hope I like liason, it is being pushed at me, and I look forward to a more acute atmosphere, so here goes...I am looking forward to my next course in Jan.

Halloween-the most awful, er, wonderful? time of the year?? I get to be a kid, the kids get to max out on fun-does it get any better? The only thing that would make it better, would be going to a fun adult Halloween party ina sexy costume with my man. Not gonna happen this year, but I can hope for next. We had our annual kids party, a big success with 14 kids. I have ideas for next years already. With all my work stress I pulled it together, then had vino with friends-it was fun and realxing in the end, I really needed that wind down time. Every time Diana and I hang out, I say-why don't we get together more often-then life gets us too busy till the next time!

I had a great day with my "girls" from work. We have spent the past six weeks training, leaning on each other for info, support, etc. It has been so great to get to know each other, I love hanging out with them-we have educational time, then shopped-we ran out of time for dinner, but we plan to get together at a pub for a night. I really work with an awesome bunch!

Next step in this house is Christmas-already bought some new stuff! Also got some new Gap suff, gettin ready for a change of season-i hope to shop more shortly.

The spooks and ghosts have begun to play.:*:.:*:.

That time of year is upon us. That edge has crept into the air at night, the mornings are filled with fog, the mountains seem to close in around us. The leaves have started to turn, a few are scattered on the paths. Fall is almost upon us, and so is thanksgiving, and of course, Halloween. I love this time of year. There is something I can't explain even, some growing feeling of excitement. I start baking. Anything with spice, apples, pumpkin, nuts. I want to roast turkeys. There is no finer meal than a nicely brined, savory roasted bird, with a sage, sausage, and cranberry stuffing. I love it. That aside, Halloween is the best. We spend months to prepare, and weeks getting it all put together. Choosing a theme to our design, pulling out decor of years past, buying and making new. We plan some sort of party, complete with spooky themed foods, and I even have special glassware, placemats and dishes for the occasion. Our house and yard range between cute spooks to down right ghoulish. The costumes are well planned in advance-and they get more ghoulish as the kids get older. I guess I am one of those kids that night, I get to be a ghoul, er, girl, again. Halloween brings nothing but pleasant memories for me over the years, and I love seeing the spirit alive in our house. We scour the shops for the right accessories for weeks up to the day-I don't know who is more excited-me or the kids! There is not one of us who does not enjoy our walk on the scary side this time each year in our house!

Fall 2004-that is the year of the mag I am looking at. It gave me ideas for my harvest table, the colours and textures. I have started planning my menu-and also I think we will have friends for wine and cheese soon too, so i am planning both. I picked up 3 kinds of cheese-for 6-8 types in total, and some siljan shells for the RIP bites for Halloween-I saw the shells so I grabbed them, will tuck them away till the eve is at hand! I will pick up some ghoulish wines and beers for the occasions, with devil and witch themes in their titles can't wait....

Fall

Fall is nearing, the weather has that slight edge to the air in the mornings and evenings-I love it. There is not other time of year I love more. Maybe its the colours, the harvest baking, the nearing of Thanksgiving and Halloween. I don't know for sure, but it is the best time of the year. In the priairies it seemed to slip by so quick. Freezing cold and snow by Halloween, the colours were a little drab. I think I really began to enjoy it in Ontario. It lasted well into November, even into December a bit some years. The maples turned every shade you could imagine. It was then I could see what the magazines were depicting, and all the fall activities were so much fun. I know here it is fall type weather all winter, I am so excited. I hope the activities are as bountiful. On the fall note, I have been going nuts preparing. I baked blueberry bran muffins, apple pumpkin muffins, banana bread, oatmeal chocolate chip cookies, pumpkin cookies, pumpkin bread, and pumpkin scones. I also made blackberry jam. I love pumpkin, and I alter all my recipes to make them more healthy, so we have a ton frozen to enjoy when I go to work. I also needed stuff for lunches, as both girls go to school full time now, so it is lots of lunches, and snacks for gymnastics etc. It was a flurry getting the kids off to school, getting clothes organized, hair cut, and multiple pairs of shoes it seems. The days are quiet at home with just Josh, but Dave is home a lot right now, so the three of us get to go for lunch, shop, and work on the house.

The house is getting there. I landscaped the whole front and side that faces the mountains. I just need some more bark mulch for the side, the beds are finally high enough-it takes a lot of dirt. I left spaces on the side for the mums in my cast iron urns, they will be perennials once in the ground. They are huge and my favorite colour, a burnt orangy gold. The back has the patio in, but it needs to expand by the hot tub area, so I cleared the ground up to there. I planted ornamental grass and shrubs in raised beds around the stone work, and levelled and dug stones the rest of the yard. It already had the bobcat go over it, but I went over the area with a rake and hauled out about a dozen wheelbarrow loads of stones. I hauled dirt to build beds all along the other side of the house, putting a bed along the garage side that wraps around to the back. I planted one hostas, but I need to buy ferns and other shady plants as that side is mainly shade. We are putting the posts in for the pergola, hopefully that things will get at least half built this weekend, maybe all of it. We are tiling the mudroom, it will be done by the weekend-finally. It looks good. I need to finish setting up my office, need to buy a desk as the table I got from ikea, our former desk, is now the kids craft centre.

I start work next week. I will be full time for the next month and a half, then scheduled here and there. I will be doing case management. I was all prepared for the usual intertview, knowledge testing, thinking skills questions, but it was basically, what did you do in your previous job, then we want you on baord! I am very excited, but I need to buy business clothes! I bought a gorgeous coat, black, knee length class style, but I need more pants, skirts, jackets, etc. I have been checking winners here, but I can't find dress pants small enough. The 4's are too baggy, need to look elsewhere. On another note, I got a really great seater dress and tights. I plan to wear it for thanksgiving, it is so nice. It will be weird working full time, I haven't since I had 3 kids, but it is only temporary. I don't want full time till Josh is in school.

We are gearing for Halloween. I have fall stuff around, pumpkin bread candles, ember diffuser, chinese lanterns in a vase, pumpkins aorund, and my ghosts have crept into the wine cabinet lol. A couple of my bear witches have landed on the buffet, and other such decor has started to appear! The kids are stoked! I got a really cool devil costume for mimi, and noni got a gorgeous witch one-what they wanted to be. We have a really nice dragon costume for Josh, and I am undecided-cat or witch? We started some crafts,a nd have pulled out our arsenal of halloween mags-I bought 2 more too. I started a few crafts, sillhouettes, cat, bat, and dracula jar toppers, games etc. The kids have the stuffed pumpkin, ghosts, bats, the haunted tree from hallmark with the owls that sings, and the spooky puppets out-they have been having a ball. I glittered the skull and bones and colected moss from the forest for another craft. We got some new ciderweb candles, a new tombstone, balck tapers, and some signs for this year too, as well as a fall oil burner and I started gathering weird candy for the haunted house we are making. I bought the 100 ml bottles up from the bodyshop of the pumpkin nectarine oil, so the air is filled with the scents-and I can't stop baking lol. I am so excited.

Dave had a good conference, it was one of those big budget deals, hosting foreign stuff, but I am glad he is home. He is going only once now this month, glad he is not going to el salvador now. He has not been too busy, I am glad, but has been away sporadically. We had lunch out at a funky place yesterday, they have these spicy oysters, sooo good. My new favorite dish. We attend a wine and chees on Fri this week, looking forward to that too, it is our fav hobby as well!

Well that is it, my lack of blogging is due to a busy schedule. Josh is doing great as a pottier, so much later than the girls, but he is doing great. Just in time for daycare!

Nostalgia

I have had to say goodbye to so many parts of my life. We move, it is part of who we are. Don't get me wrong, it is what I have always wished for, as long as I can recall, I wanted to be by water, be it lake, ocean, whatever, to live some vague portion of the romantic novels I am inclined to. To be married to a man who takes my breath away, who fulfills me so passionately, thus can anger or fill me with absolute joy. I am married to that man, my best friend, my lover complete, the father of our children. At times, bits of our life seems like my novels. Somehow, i feel like I am adrift on the edge of reality-how does life remain romantic yet real-do the mundane details make it less romantic? No. I live for those details. I scour old movies, from every decade, books, stories from people of times past, just for those details. I love glimpsing daily life. I thrive by it. Perhaps that is what I love about being a Mom and wife, just that. I love the walks to the bakery and coffee shop, playing in the park when the sun seems like my childhood, so unbelievably bright, walking in a forest that is so larger than life, I am that kid again, yet somehow better, because I know better, and I am with the little people, my children, the future, that have more potential than I ever could imagine. Their imaginations are larger than life, and maybe it is that bit that I seek to glimpse in the past. that tiny bit of intuition into what can, what could be. My children see this, as mimi asks to buy fabric to design clothes, as noni seeks to create dishes, and joshie seeks to take apart his world and discover how to re-assemble it. They know far more than I could ever, their insite is enviable.

I was told how blessed I am, to have 3 children. I really, really am. I am so glad we opted for expanding our family, life becomes more enriched with each passing day.

Sunny, Sunny days..

...there's nothin better in the world you know, than lyin' in the sun with your radio....! So true! That song always reminds me of one summer as a teen. I love basking on the deck with the glorious cloudless skies and the clear mountain view. Such relaxation. Summer seems magnified here, larger than life like when I was a kid. It is so surreal to have that feeling again. Super, natural BC-that is the slogan on the roadsides, our olympic plate says the best place on earth-well, it is pretty awesome here.

Summer is flying by. We are beaching it off and on, the beaches are amazing here, clear, salty, and sandy! I could go everyday, but the kids are tired from long days out, and the sand keeps coming home. We have been camping once, but we go on vacation shortly. We are camping on the pacific rim, going to Victoria for holidays and our anniversary-can't wait! We had a great time at Nautical days, visitng Auntie and Uncle in Nanaimo, shopping, even got a patio set (Gluckentstein, finally something we both liked). We got a ton of shopping started for back to school, lots of clothes for the kids. We still need a few more things, but between Lasenza girl, Gap, and Children's Place, we got lots. I also started on-yes-wait for it-Christmas! I know, I know, so early. But I was half done by this point last year, so I am slow for me! I got a few Halloween things today-hehe-we LOVE it way too much, spend ages planning for it, it is always a blast. We'll see what kind of party we have this year! I picked up signs and a candle, I am deciding on some other ghoulish delights yet to add to our 3+ large bins of goodies. We also had a girls spa night, got our nails and facials, cucumber sandwiches and tea-the girls really love it and look forward to them! Continual work on the house as well, we are doing some more tomorrow before Dave leaves for the airshow.

Well poor Josh has something seemingly viral, poor Nonster has a bit of thrush, me with some headaches. We are so tired from go-go-go around here. We should relax and veg at the house more. We will be too tired for school.

Well another course wraps, got an A on my workshop, and my instructor gave really good feedback, thought my case studies were really well done and the power point comprehensive. I was also told that I used an excellent strategy and rationale with my framework, and that I provided a wealth of info. I am so pleased as I spent hours and hours on it! However, i am very glad it is done!!! I am looking at some work options now, slowly figuring things out.

Dave heads for soccer regionals and then nationals soon, we are tagging along a bit in Vic if we are able, I don't mind driving with the kids. I want to tag along in Banff for the conference, but we are waiting to see what his accomodations are like first.

Well this is it so far, continual travel and work this summer. It has been hard squeezing in lessons for the kids, but we have managed some-they would not earn all their allowance if they did not and then no webkinz so, that would be tragic lol. Poor Josh gets no allowance for his drawings and letters, the lil turnip, but he doesn't care. If he gets a balloon at the toystore he is happy. Money is meaningless when you are two!

Well, back to my nice summer evening, think I'll brew up some Nirvana tea....

What is up

I like that Mimi can come along when i go running. She rides her bike or her scooter, and zips along, chattering the whole way. It is nice having the company. It is also nice that she is big enough to keep up and knows the road rules etc.She has really grown up, I am so proud. A report full of 3's and 4's, she is such a good kid.

Noni also did as well in school, her French has exploded! She was actually conversing with Dave in French! I am so pleased! She is creative and at times mischievous, and she and Josh are a real little team of trouble!

Josh has suddenly started seeming big too. Some of the things he says "that's awesome", or saying "bless you" when anyone sneezes-or coughs-including himself-he says "bless you Joshie" it is so funny! He also thinks, eats and sleeps cars-he is always hauling his cars and trucks everywhere. The funniest thing is he piles all his cars in the boxwood bushes then asks "where are cars?-there they are!" and with glee plucks them all out!

Dave has some connections offering his prestigious taskings. I hope his boss lets him it will be very cool for him, can't say where on here, but very cushy!

Well we are ready to camp-turns out there is a deep, clear, mountain surrounded lake that is a 10 min drive from our house-so we are going camping. We have pacific rim camping booked for Aug, and in between we will camp here and there in between. We have games organized for this weekend, and lots of really good food. Can't wait....

Where am I??

I have been in a big busy stress cloud. I finished my teaching guide and power point presentation for a workshop teaching holistic wound assessment based on the wound bed preparation paradigm. It was a ton of work, but such a valuable experience.

The girls birthdays have come and gone, smaller parties this year, mainly because we hardly know people yet. The girls had fun, I bought extravagant cakes, and it was nice. It seems weird that theya re so old-9 and 6. Wow-where has the time gone? And where have we gone? All over. We have moved so much in such a short time, I had an odd experience a few days ago. Dave told me he was going to the Canex, and I actually had to pause to think about where we were. We haven't had a Canex near since 2006, so I got a little stalled in my thoughts trying to picture where the Canex was, i actually forgot where we were living. It was the oddest feeling.

We are 10 minutes from the Ocean, 10 minutes from a lake here. We ventured to the lake today, it was gorgeous, clear, deep, surrounded by low mountains and trees, camping right on the water. We met up with our neighbours from across the street, they are very nice, their daughter and Josh are quite the pair. I can't believe the scenery here. We were to camp this weekend, turns out Dave has an airshow, so we will head to Nanaimo to shop instead.

"I wish the world was a big fluffy place, they we wouldn't get hurt". This was Noni's comment after falling off her new scooter. I have to agree with her, it would be nice wouldn't it? If the world was kinder, gentler, we would not have to hold our kids so tight in fear of the outside world. At times, 6 year olds have incredible clarity. I AM glad to be out of a crime ridden city, to a community where we have environmental conscience, a sense of community, and just in general people are calmer and happier. We live in a very nice nieghbourhood, and we are enjoying meeting people. The best friends of the girls here are very nice, and we are all getting together more and more. And our friends from before and their daughter are good friends, we are so glad they are here.

I am almost on vacation, a little bit more work to finish up, but very low stress. We have some camping booked, but not all, so I am cranked to go. Davey ahs been busy, tiled my workout room, put up laundry cabinets, and we had to buy a new dryer. We have now decided we need a new high efficiency washer to match, so that is next! We are waiting for the carpet guys to fix the carpet edge in the family room first, then we tile the mud room. I CAN"T WAIT!

Lotsa stuff to do yet....

What more is there?

"Old man, look at your life, I'm a lot like you were,ba, ba...." Neil Young rocks. But seriously, as I watch my daughter connect with her Grandpa, spiritually, I know. Dad is with me, so much. I knew my spiritual connections, years ago, the dreams, what Grandma told me, etc. "If you dream about me, it means something....". Grandma dreamt about me before I was born, as I dreamt about MImi, and the prophesies have fullfiled themselves. Mimi dreamt about Dad last night, his statement was " Why are you crying?" so significant. Each time I see him in my dreams, I listen to his words. The clarity, the meaning, he is there, it is amazing because he is always my young Dad. We were at a friends tonight, I spoke of Dad, it is like he was there yesterday, I can't explain. He is, was, and always will be who I aspire to be in many ways. He never angered for no reason, he loved his kids unconditionally, and he always aspired towards greater knowledge, greater understanding of humankind. It caused him angst at times, I know that now, but he was a fantastic man. I periodically find his writings and I pore over his work, seeking bits of his knowledge. He was no farmer really, he was a man whom I knew as a father, a mentor, and as I discover, my Mom's partner and the love of her life. What I am glad of, is that I too have found the love of my life, and that I love my children like I never knew I could.

Thus, "I'm alot like you were...", Yes Dad, I am.

School and Summer et al.

School year is coming to an end. The kids are going to a week of camp, they will learn outdoor skills, kayaking, sailing. So much fun, and they get to go together-nice they will both be in 6-11 group! Swim lessons and gymnastics break in July, then start again in Aug. We are camping on the Pacific rim in Aug too, breathtaking is the best description of the scenery there, I can't wait. I am always glad for the school year to end, then glad again when it starts! I am SO looking forward to fall, can't wait for that whole season, my fave time of the year really stretches here like in Ontario. The kids and I are buzzing with plans for crafts, decor and activities already! I need to figure out our summer crafts and outings, to keep ourselves busy once my course wraps. Trampoline is now up too so yahoo!

I am seeing an end in sight, big paper just needs last edits.

So much writing, discussions, my brain is in that "considering concepts even when half awake" mode. I mull over documents and theories when i am sleeping. I wake up to go to the bathroom at 4 am and I am thinking about my work. Two excerpts from colleague discussions, I wrote:

"Another reason for this term could possibly be an attempt to help students to become a part of their own educational process, and have ownership of the skills they have developed. Considering the meaning of the word facilitation, applied to this concept, students are essentially acting to guide their own process. It is treating them like the adults that they are, and given the varied demographic of many nursing students today, this is likely an approach much appreciated by the older students in particular who might find the "test" or "exam" likened to high school and not fully appreciating the skills they have acquired."

Another discussion, I wrote:
"I also feel that the idea of collaborative learning is very valuable. Collaboration involves active learning on the part of both the teacher and learner, and I am a firm believer that when the learner is actively engaged, it has more meaning for them and they have a sense of ownership in their educational process. The teacher also has the opportunity to learn form the life experiences of their students. As described by Bankert & Kozel (2005), when the teacher and learner engage as "sharing contributors to the educational experience, a sense of closeness and unity developed along with feelings of shared responsibility for nurturing caring relationships with one another". This transformation of traditional roles can become a method of discovery as both the teacher and learner develop new interactive roles, and interactive relationships emerge."

In some ways less dry than pharmacotherapeutics, but then again not. My focus is more theoretical this time, less medical. I am honestly having a good time, and getting good feedback. It is a mix of anxiety and jubilation.

I think hon and I shall have a glass of vino and watch the sun go down, kids are tucked in!

kids

An after school conversation:
Amelia: We wanted to find a nice place to sit on the playground. These are our 4 priorities:
1. Find a place away from the boys
2. Place that was shady
3. A great view
4. Not get hit by the soccer ball
The buttercups were too close to the soccer fields. We thought there was a hole in the daisy patch, but we couldn't find it. We went to a place I suggested, except there were wrappers and the view was the mud rope.

I had to laugh. I loved the 4 priorities bit.

Lauryn also informed me today that Vanessa can jump as high as a kangaroo. I said I doubt that....lol

Josh has a spool of thread loose-he is pulling and and saying "tuggy tuggy" straining as he pulls, then getting it caught and saying "oh my". It is so funny, I don't have the heart to take it off him, despite the long tangly thread trail....

Work, food, school, stress, what else is there?

I am working on a lit search of community nursing education methods at the moment. I am learning a lot about educative methods and measures of structural knowledge. But it is a lot of work.....

Our local cheese factory has some nice cheeses. I picked up a cracked pepper verdelait, a brie, and an applewood smoked cheddar (not local, but a nice cheese). I also picked up a loaf of house levain sourdough, and a fig and walnut levain as well to go with them. I will serve this all with grapes, dried chorizo, and an olive tapenade. This of course, with some wines. I still need to decide on pairings. I'll think about that later. We are having guests this weekend, obviously, I am also trying out my rotisserie to do a rosemary, garlic and whole dijon roast. I am deciding on sides still. I am making a flourless chocolate cake, possibly with a ganache for dessert. This is also kind of a father's day thing for Dave while I am at it. We have a bunch of family coming, should be a good time.

I am so anxious for Dave to be home. I get a lot more paperwork done when he is here. I also have less running to do. Between 3 trips to the school, plus 2 on gymnastics days and swimming days, I am constantly driving it seems. These little 2 hr windows at home are no good. I will be glad for kindergarten to end and full days start. I have the house kind of partially cleaned, did windows and bath tubs. I need to finish the bathrooms, dust and wash floors. I also need to sort some more downstairs to make things presentable. I wish the carpet dudes would come, but it will likely be a couple more weeks wait still.

It has been a hard, busy week. I am glad both the girls have class collections for a teacher's gift, makes my life simpler. Lauryn's class is having a gathering of all the kinder classes on the last day of school, then a full out bbq with a bouncer for just her class at a classmates house and a gift collection for madame. Crazy. I just want to finish going through the last 8 research articles, then at least I have 10 days to pull it all together. I feel like that little train-I think I can, I think I can, I can I can lol

I have been burning the candle at both ends. Up late editing, baking, making lunches, Josh not feeling well and up late. I actually fell asleep 2 afternoons in a row this week. Week is almost over....

more

We finally put together Mimi's bed, mounted her tv on the wall, set up her phone. Dave is finishing her window sill now, we just need her flooring. The patio area is almost ready for stones, we set up the kids playhouse and sandbox, despite no grass. Once the patio is there at least they have somewhere to play. I will landscape all around the patio, I have been mulling over various shrubs to choose from-the possibilities are endless here-we are a zone 7 vs zone 3 in Manitoba! At least in Ontario we were zone 5B, which was pretty good, MB was not a good planting zone. Mom used to always lament the hardiness factor of some plants she would have liked to have.

I am so happy to garden. I find it is like cooking for me, very soul soothing. Last night we had some really good steaks, grilled asparagus and zucchini, and I made lettuce wraps. It was very good. We had a raspberry lemon cream cake I made for dessert, a fussy recipe, but very yummy.

My arms hurt from the yard work, so no more typing right now.

A new post-at last

We have been so busy, this has been at the bottom of my list. But I just spent a few minutes reading some posts and realize how much I enjoy doing this. So onward I go...

We are half ass moved in. Most of our window coverings are up, the main level is 99% ready. The lower level has to wait for carpet installers, tiling, some more drywall. The yard has the front landscaped (I did a fine job, I must say), and is ready for sod. The rest will have the stone patio put in next week, finish staining decking then too, the yard is still being leveled and stones removed. I spent hours hard labour on the yard, soooo much left, but we work fast. Dave and I were a master team in Kingston for years completing the house. We work quickly, and now with all our learning, we do a smashing job. I love the area, the kids school is great, their french has improved being in a 100% french school (no english), and they have made friends. We keep checking out different beaches, each one better than the next. We are going to nymph falls tomorrow.

My course is interesting. I am learning how to teach adults, studying theory and philosophy and applying it in a teaching and learning enviro. The discussions are the best, a very bright group. I love learning, but the work end can be hard in the midst of a move.

The kids are beside themselves here. It is a great place to live. Neighbours have been coming by to say hello, we have found a babysitter-Dave and I just need an evening where we are not working on the house to go out!! We have so many plans for the summer, I am loving beaching it so often!

Dave is home, after a month gone, leaves again in a week, for a week, then home 2, gone for 1 mos, then off all Aug. Not a nice schedule, but we get by. His return this time was so great, we have such awesome chemistry. I am so glad he still gives me butterflies after almost 12 years. He makes me feel like I am 20 and just fell in love. I love him more now than ever, he is awesome.

Ok, I did not say it would be long, but that is it in a nutshell. Life is not dull. I will have a vino with my darling now!

My summer girl

Mealie my first is such a tenderheart. She loves and empathizes so fiercely, and wears her heart on her sleeve. She stills prays for the dead bird she and her cousins found last summer. Her emotions are always at the ready, whether it is in excitement, sadness, or anger. She is a bit of a drama queen, yes, but also a dramatic actress, writing songs, quite adeptly for a child of her age. Her interest in the arts is insatiable. Her drawings are full of vivid detail and color.

Mealie can be so kind, translating books for her sister, helping her little brother and doing chores. However, true to her age there is often a detailed argument as to why she should be doing something else at times. I admire the effort! She is a talented gymnast, swims well, and is such a good friend to her "pals". She loves to be part of a close knit friendship, preferring that to a large group, yet she is well-liked by all her classmates. Mealie loves her solo time as well, enjoying quiet time to listen to music.

A bigger imagination you will not find, endless energy for exploring the outdoors, and decorating her room. She is always creating things, and would spend hours at crafts, leaving an incredible mess and a more incredible creation. Her enthusiasm is as admirable as she herself is. She reminds me of summertime, from her sunny blonde hair to her every changing ideas and interests, just like how summer weather can change so much, but is enjoyable for all that it is because it is summer.

I love my darling girl not just because she is my daughter, but because of who she has become.

A bird in flight

Noni is a charming little bird. Being five is a charming state of being alone, but she affects everyone around her so effortlessly. She makes friends like most breathe, instantly having a small entourage at her new school. She is so humerous, always coming up with the most hilarious analogies. This morning she chattered away in the bathroom about how useful our fingers are, and the multiple tasks they can accomplish: "they can pull down the toilet handle to flush, but they can't eat. They can HELP us to eat though, by holding utensils Mom. Aren't they wonderful?" Ahh the joys of early morning discussions about basically nothing, yet everything.

No one, and I mean no one, enjoys and spends so many meticulous hours with tiny, tiny accessories like Lauryn. She builds "rooms" all over her room, in the dollhouse, on the dresser, end table etc. They are so orderly and detailed. More than a few people have admired the work she puts into them. She has gotten interested in calico critters-they are perfect for her. She reminds me of myself in so many ways, in the way she plays and her love of animals. She cares for our cat so lovingly. But she exudes a confidence and musical voice that I envy.

Noni also loves to add sound effects to all her activities-they are always appropriate to the task-dramatic, humerous, exciting etc. It is beyond hilarious, and no, she does not get it from me! Lauryn is also a chef in the making. I have never seen a kid her age take to the kitchen so skillfully. She can peel an entire pot of potatoes, assist in a cake from scratch, etc. Now this, she takes after mommy!

Noni leads a charmed life, loved by many, so talented. She is still my sweet baby, loves her cuddle time, yet so independent, zipping straight to her class and getting out her work and getting started, with no direction.

I love my darling Noni-bird.

Little feet

There is nothing sweeter than the sound of little feet trotting along. We walked along the river path that leads to the harbour, Josh trotting along as fast as he could muster. This, accompanied by "super boy!" and then counting to 10 and yelling "goooo!". He is absolutely priceless in his moments. He was a turkey to keep on the path, picked fistfuls of dandelions to throw up in the air and shout "hooray!". He would also run onto the brambles and lie down on them-why? Who knows, but the exhuberance he approaches every activity with is to be envied. To see the world through the eyes of a 2-yr old again would reveal such wonder and amazement that we have either forgotten or taken for granted. I also envy his energy, and just general excitement. He breaks things down to such simple terms, all circulating around what makes him the happiest. Why don't we all do that? I think we would be much more satisfied.

At bedtime today, we read his favorite book full of poems and songs. All the kids loved this book, but I think Josh is the most fond of it. He is so soothed by it, he would listen to it a dozen times over if I could stay wake through it-it is a very long book! After his book we said his prayers, where he pauses to say "yah" at each verse. After saying "night night mama", and "love you mama" he started telling me about pink candy canes being yummy. Now what on earth made him think of that is beyond me. Now he loves candy canes, and is probably missing the stash i kept at home, I still do not know what made him think of them-unless it was our Tim Burton night the night before. Josh has joined us in our love for his work, he was absolutely enthralled. I am anxious for the fall season already!

Josh is such a wonder. He is at that age, the peak of curiosity, full of an energy so different from his sisters, yet I see bits of their personalities entwined with his. He is such a beauty, with his wide grin, big blue eyes and button nose. He charms everyone, even in his little statements at shoppers today, standing defiantly between myself and another little boy saying "MY mama"! A couple of days ago when we were having coffee and gelato, he was telling a pair of old ladies about his "yummy, blue ice cream" and telling them it was "delicious". They fussed over him, how handsome, how articulate, he speaks so clearly etc. It was hilarious. He is very charming boy indeed.

I love my little man.

Long way to go

Well we have travelled for days, across the DULL, DULL prairies (SO boring, words cannot describe-the kids got excited every time we saw a hill-it was that bad!). The mountains were gorgeous. We visited Jasper, where the kids saw elk, mountain goats, a wolf, and deer. We stayed in Valemont, so pretty there, we ate at the Caribou grill, and yes, they serve caribou! We stayed our next night in Chilliwack, it was ok, but I did not like our hotel there. We were in Vancouver a bit after that, then Nanaimo, then home. The island is gorgeous, I love the scenery. Everything is in full bloom-the garden centres are full of plants. We are starting to choose our trees and shrubs for our yard. I am thinking I want a red maple, a magnolia, and a variety of cedars. We also want a fruit tree, but we haven't decided what. There is a gorgeous black grass that I want a bunch of for out front, and we may get a yucca again as Dave really liked it. Lots to decided on.

We visited our closest beach here, a 5 min drive. Very sandy, large beach. The kids were beside themselves beachcombing. We collected a bunch of shells, the kids were chasing crabs, and scooping up jellyfish that got washed in on the tide. They also found a dried crab that somehow has made it back with us! We are going to have a crate of shells that we won't know what to do with by the end of the summer, I can see it now! When it is warmer we can do some serious beachcombing and find octopus, starfish and sea cucumbers! The kids have been avidly reading their ocean book, and we bought an ocean facts game to also help the kids learn. It is exciting to have interesting stuff to do again, I am feeling less homesick for Ontario for the first time since we left. There are several oceanside mini-golfs that look awesome just 15 min up the coast, the kids are excited to go there (they take after their Dad and love golf!), and we have found a great bakery/chocolatier/coffee shop called Hot Chocolate we are in love with already-they serve fantastic artisan bread that reminds me of Pan Chancho. I am also dying to pick up more local wine and cheese from the winery and cheese factory here. I loved taking the kids to Wilton cheese factory, can't wait to go here. We visited a tea house here, they sell over 100 kinds of whole leaf tea. I will go next week after we are in the house and stock up. We picked up some cute kamik rubbers for the kids at a shop, and there is a gift/home shop up the street from it I will head back to and pick of these cool lime green baskets for the house too. A few of our favorite things.

The kids went to their school today, I am anxiously waiting to hear how their days went. The kids are good at making friends, so I hope they enjoy their teachers. We have a ton to do before the end of the week when Dave goes, I am not looking forward to it, but he is bringing back a case of lobsters to celebrate our housewarming with. It is going to be a busy summer. I am done my course successfully, next one starts soon, but it is much lighter, which I purposely chose so I can relax with my kiddos this summer. We plan on going to the beach almost daily, just because we can. The kids are only little for a short time!

Marriage, birth, death and life

Well it seems that my brother-in-law is engaged. They are getting married this summer, not sure when and I have not met her, but this is the plan. I hope it works out, there may be another baby on the way (well another for him, not her). My half-sister's daughter is having another baby, and her son is getting married too. There are a lot of people around us getting married or having babies. It is kinda neat, since a lot of our friends and family have kids that are pretty old now. Time goes so fast.

I hope that Dave's brother's marriage is a good one. There is kind of a disposable or replacement attitude regarding marriage these days, people all want to upgrade when things get old or there is difficulty. I am proud of the fact that Dave and I celebrate 10 years this year. 10 is short by many a standard, my parents were married 43 years before Dad died. But we have weathered a lot thus far. We have dealt with major, life-threatening illness three times,the birth of 3 children, we are approaching our 3rd cross-country move, and we had to deal with the death of my father. A lot in such a short time frame. There are a lot of ups and downs, so much happiness and fun, anger and sadness, and many changes. If anyone thinks they will get along their whole marriage, never seen their mates' flaws, they are delusional. You will have the same fight 92 times. Love is really about embracing someone's imperfections, not merely accepting them. This is the secret "terror and glory" of marriage. Any marriage of duration is shaken by birth, death, triumphs and setbacks. What is the secret to making it last? Well, I think it is just what I have said-or at least I hope. Those are the wise words of a person married 36 years, who I am loosely quoting. I just hope those who are newly approaching marriage understand these things too. We all board the marriage train with idealistic, unrealistic expectations. With time and tribulation, your marriage is tested repeatedly. Those who last are committed through anything. I have seen people whom I thought "why on earth would he/she put up with that?". Why indeed. It is easy to place judgment on someone else's marriage. It is difficult to judge your own and come out smelling like roses.

Our accomplishments together are far greater than what either of us could do alone. I think that is one of the things I am most proud of in our marriage. Material goods are irrelevant. They have no bearing on the strength of our marriage, or our family.All I know is, our friends have been our biggest supports. They ARE our family, hands down. Through cancer, many babies, moves, parents dying, massively ahrd courses, we are all together. I value them for who they are to me and my family.

It is funny talking to a friend tonight, who has more money than anyone I know. She is one of the most fun people I know, and totally looks at her her money as irrelevant, but it is her daughter who is a friend of Amelia, and they are our place to stay in Palm Springs! LOL she is great fun! But we have a great connection, and her daughter is so precious. I am so glad to not leave such good friends behind. Our best friends are never far, despite our moves, and that is so heat warming. Cheers to you all!

As for the future newlyweds, I wish you the happiness we have had, and the ability to cope with all that is life. Come have a margarita (made by Dave the master) in Tofino!

17 days

17 days to go. A ton of stuff to sum up here, two more shifts to work, then I am officially on holidays till the fall. I plan on taking the kids to the beach almost every day-just because we can! I have lots of landscaping and some painting of the downstairs in the house, but we want to enjoy the most beautiful place we have ever lived by being outdoors all spring and summer as much as we can.

I got my paper in under the wire, and I summed up another unit and posted on transdermal testosterone, and why this is the preferred delivery method. Very exciting. I have massive studying to do till the exam. I can't wait to be done. Sandy and I are pulling our hair out over this one.

Easter was fun. On Saturday the kids went to an egg hunt and a lunch, Lauryn won a prize too. On the Sunday we went out for brunch after our little egg hunt at home, then had our big dinner with family. I usually do ham, but the turkey I made was so juicy and tender. We have to empty out the freezer! Strawberry shortcake I made for dessert went over really well. The kids got lots of gifts, the Easter Bunny likes to spoil them with clothes, toys and treats. Amelia slept in the living room with her camera to try and catch the bunny himself in the act, but she slept without waking while things were being hidden. What a turkey! I miss outdoor egg hunts-at least this is the last one we had to suffer through in a winter enviro.

All our hotels are booked. We have notified all friends we are planning on visiting en route and before we leave, so we are excited to see everyone, sad to say goodbye to others. After our cross-country trek we get two weeks in two different resorts, so I am stoked. The kids are bursting they are so excited.

The big 100!

I can't believe I have managed 100 posts-yahoo! I guess I should bake a cake lol. A lot has happened in this time span, so much to happen over the next 100 posts-here's to 100 more!

The kids are so busy. They had a snowball fight with the neighbours-Josh and Jon vs. Amelia, Lauryn and Belle(fairly fair since Jon is 16!) Josh loves Jon-calls him JonJon-he is so good with the kids. Amelia and I had a funny discussion today-is a flute an animal? Well logic would say no, but her argument was this: air goes in and out, fluids (saliva) goes in and comes out, it is wood from a tree, which is alive, it makes noise. She was just being silly, but it was funny how she was trying to rationalize in a goofball way! Lauryn and Belle play daily again-they go through fits and spurts.

I am swamped with diagnoses and drug interactions etc. This course has given me a whole new appreciation for what physicians know and do. There is so much more to it than what nurses think. I certainly have a new opinion developing. The CYP450 system is enough to give any MD a headache.

I have been running outside-it feels SO good. I wish there were no puddles-I love seeing if I can jump over them-unlike kids who jump in them lol! I went for a really long one tonight, I feel supercharged, the energy and mood lift running outside gives me is second to none. I have been trying to get in a spring mindset and I finally feel I can-I think I will wear my new open toed shoes to the St. Pat's party on friday to celebrate! I also got my hair done a lighter colour in prep for warm weather. Now what to wear to the party?(Update, we had lots of fun, lots of friends there, but left fairly early as I was beat-food was so-so)

A pair of our friends just got engaged-I am so excited. They are our nearest neighbours that we know in our new locale, so it is so exciting. It seems so long ago since we had our wedding, it is a distant memory!

This one is taking me days to finish, I should just sum it up with no hoopla. We have busy weekends until we leave, lots to do, no time. The house is flying along, just got some more aerial pics, so exciting! Had a nice long visit with Sandy, but I am so stressed with my course that I had trouble relaxing. We need a paper-free weekend next time. She is such a supportive friend. We were out of touch a bit when I had my miscarriage years ago after Mimi, but I wished we hadn't been because I know she would have my depression and recognized it. I was in bad shape, looking back on it now it is still distressing. I am glad I have better supports around me now, I would never want to go back to those hard months. We were talking about that and so many things this weekend. It is nice to split our sides laughing too!

I baked a chocolate cake with chocolate ganache tonight, very decadent. It satisfied my lil chochoholics. Since I am 1/2 Irish, I will add 1/2 an Irish blessing-...and may the wind always be at your back....lol! Well, onward to another 100 posts!

Dinner, mundane stuff, life

I had a great dinner with my dearest last eve. Our dinner rocked-shiraz poached pear, gorgonzola and cashew salad, with pear and wine reduction vinaigrette, gorgonzola and dijon crusted tenderloin with beef jus and wine reduction, served over garlic parmesan mashed. SO GOOD! It was great, and believe it or not, it was quick to prepare. We had a nice cheese selection after, cranberry wesleydale, moroccan spice gouda, madagascar green peppercorn, some more of the gorgonzola, spiced air cured genoa salami, and some lovely big olives with some of our favorite crisp breads. I am still stuffed lol! We had such a nice evening, so nice to be with my most favorite man!

We were out part of the day today, bought more summer clothes for the kids, I left my ring at the jewelers, it is still a bit too loose, I don't want it to fall off. Hopefully it fits better this time. We had lunch out, but Lauryn was really feeling unwell by the time we got done at the mall, so we came home, she and Josh are napping and Dave went off to buy the groceries. I need to go out to the drugstore after, and then go and exchange a pair of shoes. Have I mentioned a million times how I am dying to wear summer clothing and go running outside? 4 more weeks, 4 more weeks-I can keep saying it.

I just found out a friend from school nearly dies 5 years ago, they had given him 6 mos to live. Many surgeries later he is now ok, has a nice family and is managing well. Life is so fragile at times, it makes you appreciate what you have so much more.

Long time no blog

I have not written in ages, I have been on the computer a lot, just not doing much recreational. My course takes a lot of work. The good part is I am doing well, and am learning tons. I do look forward to a less work intense course next term though. It feels good to be advancing my knowledge. I am amazed that they do not teach any of this stuff at the undergrad level-even the new grads I have worked with have said their program does not touch on this stuff. I am still very hesitant with my prescription writing, but I am more confident with my drug choices, slowly but surely.

I don't even know where to begin, it has been over a month, so much going on. Josh just is getting over being sick, now poor Noni is fevered. Thank goodness Mimi is past all this stuff. I hope Noni's is short lived-it is so funny when I ask what hurts and she says her brain. Poor kid-I think this is the same illness her best friend had too-she had a headache as well. Hopefully I can get her into the doc as fast-at least I know what they will prescribe. The kids are bored as we countdown to our trip. They have been stir crazy with this miserable weather. I can't wait to bid a very un-fond farewell to winter. No more!! Josh is driving me nuts. He is in quite the breaky phase(and I am quite sure breaky is not a word!). He broke something in Hallmark, Pier 1, a piece of china at home, and now he tore down the living room drapes. He has too much energy, and I have had trouble keeping him busy obviously.

The house is coming along. We keep shelling out more $$$ for things, but I think it will be worth it in the end-and you know how it goes, new house you want to replace old stuff. We have had to replace a lot-some of it was past due to be changed, some we were just tired of. I can't wait to get everything in the house, and it will be so warm and green when we get there. *sigh* The waiting is the hardest part....(a little TP quote lol)

I read an interesting story in a magazine at work a couple of weeks ago. It was about the end of friendships. The writer lamented how it was worse than ending a romantic relationship somehow, but as life moves along, you change, they change, the ties that bind no longer hold true, a fight that could not be resolved, your differences got in the way, etc. It was well written, and it made me think of friendships I have ended along the way. The writer mentioned fighting to keep a particular friendship of hers and it paid off, they were still friends. She also spoke of the lame way most end their friendships-say they'll call, and then don't etc-deplorable behaviour romantically-yet how is it is gotten away with by friends, etc. I thought back over the years of who I stayed friends with, who I lost touch with(for no particular reason), who I purposely did not wish to be friends with, who I have meaningfully re-connected with and who i have not. It just kind of made me take stock on things. The advent of facebook has been interesting to say the least, but I can honestly say there are some people I have re-connected with that are now so important to me again, it is so nice, some are just acquaintances, but that is ok by me-some of my closest friends I see almost daily are not even on facebook-it is wierd. Life is funny.

I am hoping Dave and I can still have our romantic dinner tomorrow. I am cooking, so it is not an issue of leaving the house, but with sick kids you never know. I have 4 courses planned at the moment, I am using a very nice gorgonzola in 2 dishes, can't wait!!!! I got my 10 year gift already, it is so gorgeous. I can't wait to celebrate this summer, hopefully all goes as planned!

Mornings...and afternoons

Mornings can be so peaceful, I enjoy just me and Josh doing stuff at home. He has been insisting on dining at the little table lately, he eats breakfast and lunch there. I don't know why, it is just what he likes. Maybe the big table is too big for him. Mind you he has been ending up in our bed so much lately, even Lauryn came wandering in the middle of the night last night. The kids have all wanted to sleep in our room so much when they were small. Even Amelia still the odd time comes crawling in. I love the cuddle time, but it usually means I am half awake because the kicks love to kick and hog the bed! They are only small once...

I am going to try and bake today, and we will have make your own pizza night/movie night/family night tonight. We do it most Fridays, it is always lots of fun. I will finish my cleaning and readings early, then do my shopping, hopefully all in the morning! Big order for a short time!

I got my CRNBC final form yesterday, just have to send the last payment in, I am approved to register. My boss told me 6 months it took her daughter to get hers-mine was super fast. The college there told me 6 weeks. I am not planning on returning to work until fall, I will take the summer off and enjoy my family and oceanside life. Life is too short to waste working all my time away-besides Davey-O is getting another raise, and then another big one next Dec, so it should not matter so much what I do, thank goodness.

I am procrastinating, need to get busy this am...

Well I am continuing this in the pm, I will do my reading after I drop Lauryn off at her playdate. I got the house clean, picked up pizza stuff and snacks for tonight, and exchanged a dress at the gap. I am being efficient for the first time this week I swear. Dave and I even got the basement sorted, more stuff getting the heave ho, as we figure out the family room, mud room, living room furniture for the new house. It is all coming together.

Mom's surgery went without a hitch and she is home. Now let's hope all the news is as positive. Interesting aside, Kathy's mom has a boyfriend. Good for her, I think that is awesome. My good friend Chantal is also thinking about dating again-I am so glad, she deserves happiness too. Even Mom has entertained such thoughts recently, and I really hope she does. Being alone can be so hard.

Furniture, Dad et al

Dad would be so pleased with my new table and chairs. SOLID espresso oak, no veneers, no MDF or other crap(we went to almost every furniture store in the city-almost every table you find is cleverly masked MDF with veneers). I am pleased, they are very urban, yet classic style. I was speaking with a friend on facebook who lost her Dad recently, we had similar experiences it seems. Dad is in my thoughts continually, I know that he would be so happy with how things are going these days. Josh is a miniature Dad, he enjoys his ice cream and chips just like Grandpa, he is his karmic equivalent, without a doubt. I wish for Josh to be all my Dad was in his greatness, and none of his faults-haha perfect kid right?! Dad will be living with us at the coast, for sure : ), he always wanted to be there.

Glad to be taking a day off from enzyme inhibitors etc., SO much material. Yikes, is all I will say at the moment. I slaved in all my spare time this week, n'uff said.

Appliances are here, I have virtually my dream stove and fridge, dishwasher and micro are being picked up at the coast, so i will wait to see those. What a giant fridge, but it will be nice to have 2 fridges like in Kingston, very handy, the stove is a true convection LG-even a cobalt interior to match my Kitchenaid stuff. I love to cook, so having a good kitchen, in an open concept area is so important. I can't wait for our first gathering.

Grandpa Quique is still in hosp, had a bad episode, so not home yet. Grandma is stressed, she really needs a break. Hopefully things will improve, but the rehab phase is so long.

Planning

Now that house decisions are well on their way, our appliances are purchased, and we are going to order our dining set today, we are slowly starting to plan our big event. We have not settled on a date yet, we are going to work it according to when Maria and Scott take holidays, as they were coming to see us anyways. We will begin preparations once we arrive there, and make it an all in one party-including housewarming & anniversary/event. We are keeping the guest list very small, but the menu will be good-for sure to include fresh oysters and local fish! I can't wait for it, I have had the vague overall plans in my head for years! I just hope I can get enough landscaping done before then -I should as I love gardening and miss it so much. We and a great yard in Kingston, we had a lot of fun with the garden. It will be so nice for the kids to plant again! Stay tuned for event info!

Shopping, plans, thoughts and plans

Got the end table for our bedroom, chose our dining set, Dave is out wrangling a deal for the 4 kitchen appliances-the ones I really wanted, so I am happy. He will hand over the cash for them today if they give him the price they said! I just need to unload the stove, everything else is sold, awaiting pickup.Just need to buy some kids furniture and linens.I have no idea yet how to cover the windows in the new house. Three sets of bay windows has me stumped. I need to do some research to figure it out.Suggestions?

Mimi is going for a sleepover at Breanna's, we are still waiting to see if we can get a sitter for tonight so we can go out for some thai food. I am in need of some spice. The younger pair are watching a movie, so I will have a run. I can't wait to run outside again-I ran outsdie while in BC, it was raining but it was still great. It is a better workout than the treadmill, as everyone knows, but it does when it is -1 million outside.

Thoughts about ethnopharmacology-interestingly western and eastern(ie asian etc) have no discernable differences involving metabolism of drug components, yet the difference is vast in comparison to african-american and hispanic cultures regarding only certain drug groups. I found this fascinating, as the reason is attributed to the length of evolutionary distance between the races.

Anyhow, house is coming together. Need to replace the rug in the living room. I haven't found one yet, needs to be just the right colours, I have it in my head, but haven't seen it yet!

Potatoes, kids and gingerbread

Lauryn and I peeled potatoes together tonight. She is the best helper in the kitchen. She has amazing skill for a five year old-she can peel, measure, mix and crack eggs. She is very eager to learn too, always wanting to learn whatever I am making.Mimi does not have as much interest, although she is efficient enough. I was just so surprised at how well Lauryn could wield a peeler-perfectly peeled and no injuries even! All in all, we had a nice turkey dinner tonight with my helper.

The kids painted after dinner, and then made puppy key chains with pompoms, felt, eyes, and the glue gun-they are so cute. Josh also did playdoh today. It is so bloody cold, the kids need to be crafty indoors-that and playing ocean/sharks with the laundry basket! Homework is almost done for the night. We all need to turn in early tonight. I am tired, had a lot of cleaning to do today, and I did a long workout too. Josh and Lauryn played volcano while I did this this in the pm, it was funny watching him "trying" to escape the lava. Dave and I are just discussing furniture purchases-we are getting a new room for Mimi-a queen bedroom set. She ahs chosen a very grown up decor-the pink girly stuff is no longer cool I guess. Lauryn still wants the all pink room, but Mimsters wants brown and white and light aqua. It is amazing how old she seems sometimes. I feel nostalgic at times for when the girls were 5 and 2, life seemed so simple back then, now almost 4 years later we have another 2 year old in the house, another 5(almost 6) year old, and a big 8 going on 9 year old. Our house is half wee kid and half big kid, the differences are like night and day. So much change.

I baked the caramelized gingerbread recipe yesterday, and it is all gone. Love that stuff!

Stepping into a walk-in cooler

That's how it felt stepping out of the airport today-arrgghh. Yesterday we went hiking. We hiked down to Qualicum Falls, then went hiking in the Cathedral Forests. Josh kept saying "wow" and just running-he loved throwing rocks in the stream. Amelia was reading all the signs, and was quite concerned about the natives that might have been buried there-worried about ghosts of course. It was all very breathtaking, so hard to believe it is so near where we will be living. It reminded me of a dinosaur forest, it almost did not seem real. I also had the best cup of coffee out that way, good to remember. We were tired after, Dave and I sat by the fire after Josh was in bed, and the girls went to play at Erin's for awhile.

I am already missing the fresh Fanny Bay oysters. They were SO good.

More stuff

We made further changes to the kitchen layout, it looks so good. We picked lighting today, got some gorgeous artisan lights to hang above the peninsula. We will have a mountain view from the front of the house, so nice too. We chose to upgrade to the jacuzzi bath, and the main bath also has a skylight. We have decided on the exterior as well, dark taupe with black and the dark rock front. Two other houses on the street did a similar finish, looks so good. We meet with the builder tomorrow-at least Dave will be here to keep an eye on progress.

We took the kids to Union bar and grill for lunch-very funky, nice menu-lots of artisan type dishes. Blaine met with us for lunch, he's had a bad last few months, but it looks like things are on the upswing now. We wandered a bit up and down the street, lots of artsy shops there, I spent some time in the tea centre, and got a great cobalt teapot, will go great in my new kitchen. I am slowly picking up new stuff for the house, hopefully we will have it all by the time we move in. I never want to leave this place, everyone keeps saying how there is endless stuff to do-it feels a lot like Kingston. Oh yah, and it was +5 today, so the bonuses are obvious. We all swam at the aquatic centre tonight, nice big wave pool and slides.

I do not look forward to going back to the peg for the next spell, we will survive I guess I forgot to mention our holiday open house was so much fun. We stayed up late and ate and talked and just general holiday merriment. It was a great end to the year!

So much to do

We were busy all day, picking out flooring for the whole house, plumbing fixtures, and changes to the kitchen layout. Tomorrow we look at lighting and pick the siding colours. It is so hard to decide quickly, but such is military life. I can truly say that our military friends completely understand the semantics, you know who you are! I would never change being military, the excitement makes up for the hassles, big time. I can't wait for the house to be done! We meet with the builder tomorrow to sum up the plans.

We had dinner with Beth and Adam tonight Silverado's is awesome dining. I had an assortment of seafood-oyster, smoked salmon, scallop and clam as a starter, then pan seared duck, then a butternut squash cheesecake-so fantastic-and the wine pairings were perfect. We had such a nice night, I am so glad they are living here too!

I worked on my course a bit today, lots to do but so interesting. I am glad I have time off to do it. I don't know what I would do if Dave couldn't support us income wise-I would never have the chance to spend time with the kids the same or do courses.

I must go-we are watching superbad of all things.....!

We just bought a house!

We bought a brand new house. New subdivision, we pick the amenities. We go tomorrow to pick floors etc. It was the only option in the end, as there is too much crap on the market, and the prices are high. Small community but tack on a big price tag over the old peg. BUT it is so much nicer than the prairies, hands down. We would still be much less culture shocked had we just come from Kingston mind you. The cultures there and here are far more similar. I do not feel nostalgic about prairie life, I did not miss it the first time, and I am glad to leave again. All our friends who have lived elsewhere concur-there is so much more everywhere but there. I eagerly await the completion of our home!

We and such a nice evening with Jeff and Diane-it was like Erin and Amelia were never apart! The kids had a blast, and we had such good conversation-and they got a great house! It is so nice to be making a connection with the west. i look forward to immersing myself in the culture.....oh and Nick and Relic are here-it is so true! ROFLMAO!!

New year, new post, new life

Well after some mucking about, the blog is up and about again. So much going on in the past while, no time to sit and write. This will also be brief, as any comp time I have needs to be focused on my current course, as it is a bit time consuming, but interesting.

I am done my scheduled shifts at work. What a great bunch I worked with, what a nice job. I had a very nice rotation, and I am honoured to have worked with such a dedicated bunch. I felt so touched to be told that "the good ones always leave" and how much I would be missed, I wish I could have stayed. I am feeling appreciated lately, my old boss from Kingston sent me an email when I said I was not returning(sadly), and in it she said I am an excellent nurse. That is the highest praise I could receive, as she is absolutely my mentor. There is no one professionally whom I aspire to more, so it was very high praise indeed.

We are preparing to stay at a luxury golf resort, this time tomorrow I will be dining in their restaurant looking out over the greens. If we can get sitters, Dave and I will hit the greens together, if not he will do a round on his own. It was a former PGA tour site, so it is one of the best. We are staying in the loft suite, the kids are excited! We have so much to do next week, but I can't wait to go to fall/spring climates. I could do without Manitoba winters forever. I hope we can get settled in soon, there is a lot of things we are anxious to do. The kids are just thrilled to be living on an island and have ocean and mountains in our daily view. We have been super shopping for spring clothes, I think I need to take out stock in the Gap. I will be posting pics of our adventure on facebook, so stay tuned.

Filling out the passports, getting prepped for a trip this year. We are hoping to embrace the rest of the world as we become west coasters. Another chapter begins!