12 months

• January ..
  1. made trip up to FSJ to see both my parents in hospital.  Mom from a stroke in December '09 and Dad with Alzheimers.
  2. discovered online school in which I was taking my medical transcription course through, went bankrupt with no warning.
• February ..
  1. anticipated the start of the 2010 Vancouver Olympics .. tho never made it over but watched some of it on TV.
  2. my Dad passed away 02-12-2010, made another trip up to FSJ for memorial and family time.
• March ..
  1. started job search
  2. submerged myself into the girls activities, into photography and spending time with friends and the warmer weather.
• April ..
  1. Easter arrived and the girls and I had a couple friends over for a turkey dinner. 
  2. I got a job!!!
  3. one of my best friends moved away :(
  4. started getting out and about far more often as the weather warmed up and flowers started to bloom.
• May ..
  1. Mother's Day
  2. spending much more time outdoors with the girls .. making full use of my days off
  3. sewing hand bags, loving the styles but they were gifts
  4. spent a night away for a friends birthday .. coincided with the release of Sex and the City 2 in theatres.  Such a fun night being 'ladies'.
• June ..
  1. Alissa's 9th birthday!
  2. Hailey's 11th birthday!
  3. combined birthday party for the girls at the pool .. Cold Stone Creamery icecream cupcakes for the cake.
  4. girls make the front page of one of the local papers in a 'school's out for summer' article
  5. the girls and I go to see Eclipse at the theatre
• July ..
  1. friend from the mainland comes over for a day trip and we go to Tofino and Long Beach
  2. visits with friends camping
  3. spend a day in Coombs, playing tourists
  4. great times out with friends
• August ..
  1. lots of photo ops as we visit the beaches and enjoy the summer weather
  2. attend a couple friends birthday parties
• September ..
  1. took the girls to Victoria for a mini weekend vacation just before school started
  2. girls start grades 4 and 6
  3. enjoyed the lingering summer temps
  4. had a mutual breakup with J and decided to re-evaluate the direction of my life, what I need and want for my future, etc. Started talking with Kath about possibly moving to Kenora .. making a big change, but it remains in thought mode still.
• October
  1. welcomed a new baby great niece to the family (Laura-lee and Marcus)
  2. had Thanksgiving dinner with a friend and her family
  3. celebrated my 37th birthday
  4. made a point of doing the corn maze and picking out pumpkins
  5. carved pumpkins and celebrated Halloween (Hailey was masked vampire .. Alissa was Red Riding Hood)
  6. Clippers hockey game with my Hailey
• November
  1. first snow fall .. girls made a snowman that lasted less then a day
  2. put Christmas tree up November 22nd
• December ..
  1. enjoyed making new memories
  2. got caught up in many traditional holiday activities
  3. had Christmas dinner with a friend and her family
  4. welcomed a new baby great nephew to the family (Todd and Jen's)
  5. enjoying the last day of 2010 with my girls .. going to have a Facts of Life season 5 marathon and snack all. night. long!

NYE eve

A few weeks ago I played around with this little year in review with photos and along with everyone else on facebook that did so, came up with a nice little copulation of photos. I decided to do it again once my December photos were added, and post it here.

 

Looking at this small clip it of photos from my year, I'm flooded with many memories. Each one has a story, small or large memory attached to it and either make me smile or make me sigh with a feeling of wishing that time back. This is the very reason why I was drawn to taking photos and why photography will always be a part of my existence. Because just when you think you've lost a memory, when you stumble upon a photo of that time, it all floods back.

This year has been a very difficult, emotional, full of healing and getting used to many changes .. and at each of those times when life through a curve ball, I didn't want it. But standing where I am now, looking back at each life changing situation, I can see how I've learned, grown, became stronger, weaved with that ball and have come through each challenge.

I'm looking forward to the new year with a fresh clean slate, armed with all the knowledge I possess now, but willing to learn and change with each new experience life has in store for me.

bagful of heaven!

Quite some time ago I saw this bag by Bagolitas on their website and fell in love. The reason is because giraffes are my alltime favourite animal, and being a handbag fanatic, it just seemed so perfectly suited for me. But it wasn't a necessity and I couldn't indulge so it stayed on the website instead of on my shoulder or tucked in my closet with my other bags.


Yesterday while out boxing day snooping (I say snooping because we really didn't shop .. just enjoyed the post Christmas atmosphere for a little while), I dipped into my local favourite handbag shop and discovered they were having a sale of 75% off all their bags. My heart skipped, my brain raced, I did the math and realized I could treat myself. And treat myself I did. Isn't it beautiful? I love it! :) I think I actually even love it more then the Bagolita style bag because it's bigger, more realistic and comfy. It has inside pockets for my cell phone, gum and then a zippered one too!

Christmas wrap-up

Here's my girls Christmas Eve in their new jammies .. one being huggy, the other allowing it but barely. And then all dressed up Christmas day. It took alot of threatening to get them to pose .. ugh!

And the tree just before the girls devoured the gifts.


I'll show you what Boxing Day sale I indulged in, another day.  Such a great sale and it's to. die. for!

Merry Christmas!!

Here's what we're seeing out our living room window again this year!
These two first pictures were taken last night before it got too dark.

And then this morning this is how hight the water has gotten. Again I have to say, we're lucky that fence is not the old wooden that's been replaced. And the strata wondered why it was rotten. Umm .. cuz we kinda live in a rainforest area of the country!

It's still raining, but not as pounding hard as it has been the past two days. I'm sure the river will go down soon, but in the meantime, my neighbours garden is under water and the dock looks like a raft.

I have many more photos of our morning to share, but I'll have to upload them later. I have a few precious alone hours to accomplish lots.
Merry Christmas!!! :)

Train - Shake Up Christmas

There's so many Christmas carols, so many traditional ones that we all love to hear, so many favourites too but when you hear a new version or completely new song it's welcoming. I really like this Train song. It's cute!



The girls and I have a lowkey day planned. We're going to assemble our gingerbread house, pick up a few things at the grocery store that I had to use up on baking, maybe tour the neighbourhoods for light displays, have our appy dinner, let the girls open up their Christmas Eve present of new jammies and then snuggle in for a Christmas movie. :)

Merry Christmas Eve!

this n that

I don't really have anything to share but wanted to stop in here so it doesn't look like I've fallen off the face of the earth. :P
I spent the last couple nights sans the girls and fully enjoyed myself.  The first night I came home from work, did a quick cleanup of the house after the girls had been whisked away and left it looking unkept.  I heated myself up some dinner and then vegged awhile.  I took a nice bubble bath and then decided to attempt a batch of truffles.  It didn't really work out, and they're still in the fridge thickening up.  I may have to add wax or come up with some other sort of idea to revive the batter but I refuse to just throw out all that chocolate.  I'm much too frugal! :P

Last night a friend was throwing a little impromptu get together as a last little 'let your hair down, forget about the hustle and bustle' escape.  We had drinks, LOTS of laughs (the kind tears are streaming down your face) and even more gossip and chatter.  You know .. the stuff us gals do best! :P
I got home way to late, and had to get up early for my very last day of work before Christmas! Yay!

I have to say, only taking care of myself after work, and having to only take care of myself before work is easy!  The house doesn't get messed up so there's not much cleaning up to do after I've worked a full 8 hours.  Cooking for one doesn't take much thought.  Dishes are minimal.  There's no homework to help with, children to talk with, or to keep on an evening schedule so all gets tucked into bed at the right time.  Life was just so much easier for the past two days!  But having said all that .. there's no way in the world I'd ever want that to be a permanent arrangement.  I'm super excited to have the girls come home today, have the day off with them tomorrow to assemble our gingerbread house and hang out, watch a holiday movie and let them open up their one Christmas Eve gift and then tuck them into bed and kiss them goodnight because the next morning is when all the pure enjoyment comes for me!  I canNOT wait to see their faces when they see what I got them! :)

messing around

The other day I was just messing around, playing with my webcam and took this picture. Hailey thought I looked so different then I usually do. I'm not sure what she's talking about, do you?

it's the little things

I enjoy crafting .. everyone that knows me, knows I like to create something, anything with my hands. I've tried scrapbooking, crocheting, sewing, origami, card making, anything paper crafting .. it's all fun. A few years ago, the girls and I made these glass ornaments that they gave their teachers and each kept one for the tree. I loved making them so much that I decided we'd do that again this year. This is the one I made for a friend of mine. I thought since she's not crafty, but appreciates handmade gifts a great deal .. she'd be the perfect recipient.

I've nestled it into a gift box, added a can of French Vanilla Cappuccino and voila .. a simple token of my appreciation for her friendship. :)


Alissa and I got our picture with Santa today. Hailey's 11 going on 18 and so not having anything to do with the charade. Whatever! I wasn't to old to join them in the photo last year, and I'm not to old this year either! :P However, this Santa was slightly pervy despite how kind he was to Alissa. Baaaaad Santa! But he asked me what I wanted for Christmas and my answer was something he cannot grant, but it's always my wish .. to make my girls happy. And then he sent us off with candy canes and happy holiday wishes.

*this is a photo of the photo, so the contrast is off abit

all fixed up again

Nothing like adding dentist appts to the already crazy hustle and bustle of the season, but we did!  Last week both girls had their cleanings done and came out with a clean bill of health aside from the tiny ones Hailey had that were already on the dentists radar.  He took new x-rays and they're still the small pinpoint size and not ready to fill yet. (makes no sense to me but whatever)
But a few months prior, Alissa had chipped a front bottom tooth when clanging her top ones down against them.  This needed to be fixed because she had sensitivity issues with it, so last night we went back for that to be filled.  When we were just about to leave the office, Irene the receptionist whom I've known for as many years as we've lived here, handed me over a poinsettia arrangement with a pretty snowflake ornament attached to it and only said 'this is for you, just because'.   Of course it made me gush with emotion.  How terribly sweet of her!  It sits as a center piece on our kitchen table to add a little splash of colour to that room. :)

desktops

I have an animal lover for a youngest daughter. It's not a bad thing at all. In fact it's sweet until she tortures our old and set in his own ways kitty cat. But for the most part it's all good. So the thing with all these photos is, we switch out our desktop image every now and then and whenever I put up something seasonal it doesn't last long before an animal replaces it. I thought I'd collage all the images Alissa has saved to use as desktop photos in the past few months. The middle image is our very own Meesha.
For the record, I think these photos are all adorable and I don't have a problem when my image gets replaced with something similar to these. Puppies and kittens make me smile!

walking in a paper wonderland!

I suggested the girls make paper snowflakes this afternoon to fill the time they're home between school ending and me getting off work. I wanted to fill the one wall with all kinds of snowflakes as a little added touch to the minimal holiday decorations I had done this year.
This is how the girls interpretted my idea. They hung strands of snowfakes in the walk-thru between the dining and living rooms, added a sign and sporadically placed other snowflakes and paper candy canes around the house. It doesn't look so bad, adds a little festive touch, but the only thing I worry about is how they'll hold up when we have to pass through that walk-thru umpteen times a day. It's pretty tho!

a holiday wish

My number one wish .. my utmost desire .. the only thing I really want so badly this year?  I want to have one single family member spend even just a partial part of Christmas day with me.  Is that too much to ask? 

For the most part I like living here.  I like the weather.  I like the accessibility to the ocean.  I like how much there is to do at any given time of the year.  I HATE not having family here!

I am extremely lucky to have a friend that invites the girls and I over to spend big holidays in her cozy family environment, but as grateful as I am, it still's not family.  I'm not even sure why I'm on such a family kick this year.  I haven't spent a Christmas with my family in many years, and for the past two Christmases (three including this year) it's been just the girls and I.  Maybe that's why I'm nearing the end of my family'less rope.  I need create an environment that feels less lonely.
I've tried shaking it by getting the shopping done.  Decorating abit, making it cozy and pretty in here (and even the decorations have diminished this year, tho I added pink tree lights which I'm really psyched about). But my spirit is still down.  Like a rain cloud trying to rain on my parade!

bahumbug!

friends

The girls school had a craft night on Thursday and although they didn't get a chance to do many crafts, they did enjoy performing and getting out for an evening of fun. Any chance to spend extra time with their friends is always welcomed, and so here Alissa is with one of her best friends who comes from one of the sweetest families.

Hailey disappeared and hung out with her friends, leaving me in the dust. She actually had some responsibilities (like manning the concession stand for her 20 minute shift) and then her grade six band class performed a couple short little diddies. In just three short months, their sound is pretty damn good.

And one of the performances was dancing and singing to Razzle Dazzle (a song from the movie Chicago). They performed in their perspective classes with the song blaring over the PA system, but had practiced for a few months and some of the children were able to join the flash mob performance at one of our local malls when Santa arrived a few weeks ago. You can see the video of it here.

hold my hand .. mj and akon

a few things checked

So yesterday I was able to check a few things off my to-do (or want-to-do) list.  I picked up the photo cards from Walmart (which to my surprise ended up being free for up to the first 50.  Had I known this when ordering, I would have ordered exactly that amount! *sigh*) and addressed envelopes and stamped them.  Then after the girls had gone to bed, I typed up a bit of a holiday letter just recapping abit of our year, although seriously I do hate those letters!  Ours is pretty vague, (as is my nature I suppose) but I didn't want to just send the photo in the envelope, ya know?  So those are ready to drop into the mailbox on my way to work.

I also picked up chocolate advent calendars for the girls (some of the last few in the store .. go figure), and so they caught up with them last night and will continue on until new years.  I skipped the advent garland this year.  For some reason I'm having a difficult time getting into the decorating mood other then the tree.  It'll come tho, maybe this weekend when the girls are away, I'll surprise them with coming home to a more festive home.

I need to post a song that's been playing in my head repeatedly the past few days so I shall be back to do that later.

right now (no. 6)

thinking- about all the things I'd like to get done in the next three weeks (crafts, decorating, finish shopping, wrapping, a little baking, all the traditional activities, etc)
feeling- like the weekend was too short!
eating- roast, carrots, potatoes slow cooked
drinking- going to make a cup of hot chocolate or french vanilla cap
reading- some cooking mags

watching- Christmas show on TV with the girls
wearing- jeans and my favourite sweater (grey, longer style)

smelling- apple cinnamon beads heating in the oil fragrant burner

hearing- Hailey talk to me but I'm trying to ignore her
loving- the glittery tree lights flash and dance as they light up the tree/livingroom
hating- the stupid little needles that keep coming into the house on the bottoms of feet and making me need to sweep a million times a day!
hoping- dinner tastes as good as it smells
waiting- for bedtime so I can finish watching Inception after I tuck the girls into bed.

planning- on addressing envelopes and getting the photo cards out in the mail this week

photo shoot

With work getting in the way of my to-do list, I have procrastinated with our photo shoot until the very last minute, and still I'm not sure if I got what I want. Tomorrow I'll try again, and more with Hailey as I didn't get very much of her yet. The light was coming in the window at just the right strength this morning, so after Alissa was ready for the day I got her settled to pose. My favourite photos of her are when she is just playing with something and I can catch her naturally. She doesn't know how to smile for the camera, so the best results come on an offchance as she goes about her business. I let her play with the lights (in this photo she has them around her neck), and nonchalantly suggested she look here and there now and then and away I click away.I like this particular pose because it shows her quirky little personality.

I do really love these out-takes. But I'll have to figure out what ones I end up using to send to family (at the last minute .. may need to do an e-card as a back up option).

new month, new slate

I can hardly believe it's a new month already!  November literally sailed past and barely even had the courtesy to wave at me!  I feel already so far behind.  I haven't gotten the count-down-to-christmas garland out or stuffed with candies, nor bought the cardboard chocolate ones for the girls, OR decorated anything other then just the tree.  I'm not one to have Christmas in every corner of my house .. generally just the living spaces .. and I have great plans of making more crafts that we can add to other years worth of crafts and hang about the house.  I love making paper snowflakes and am so going to do alot of those.  Other crafts I have in mind are decorating glass ball ornaments again, baking teacher's thankyou gifts, making some cards for close friends and teachers, and the girls have ideas on small handmade gifts they'd like to make for their best friends.  We have a few weekends together yet, and whatever evenings we're not too exhausted to create.

I have yet to still photograph the girls for a photo card to send out, and that may not even happen.  We'll see.  Why is it that we always have such grand plans, and not many of them actually get accomplished?

I'm burning some apple cinnamon incense right now that is filling my house with a divine aroma. mmm