Happy New Year

Another Year it went so fast,

Another month is in the past

Another day, but this the last

As we close the year

Another year to add to age,

Another chapter, turn the page

Another time, another stage

As we close the year

And whether old or young, a daughter or a son

My wish to everyone, my wish to you

Happy New Year, God bless you this year

Peace be to all here, Peace be to you

Had some laughs and shared some tears

Had some doubts and had some fears

Sure am glad that you are here

As we close the year

Time with kids who keep us young

Time to play and having fun

Time we shared with everyone 

As we close the year

Sung by: The Suspenders 

Happy New Year Everyone ~

2010 was a good year for me ~ I lost 30 lbs :) and feel pretty good about that, I just hope when I get back on the scale after Christmas and all the goodies I've consumed I'm not 30+ lbs. heavier!!!!

I feel I'm getting to know myself better ~ and *if* you know me, and I know not many of you do ~ I have learned to listen to my inner filter (which I swore for years I never had!!) I have learned when to bite my tongue and not just blurt out what I'm thinking or feeling ~ weeeeellllllllll, I'm trying to to listen to it, and I'm getting way better at it than I have been in the past.

I'm grateful for having Ray's family, *my family* back in our lives :)  I'm sorry it took so long, but I'm very happy to have them here to visit with, talk to and get to know ~ and getting to know each grandchild is so special to me ~ they are all great kids and I love them all already :)

I hope 2011 is good to you :)

I'm going to Bellingham for the weekend ~ staying in our favourite out of the way place to just get away and chill out and do nothing but spend time with each other, and what better place or way to ring in the New Year with the person you love?

Short list of resolutions ~ and I mean SHORT, as I never stick to them anyway.

and as always #1 is (drum rolllllllllllll please)

Lose weight....enough said ~ I think this is #1 on almost everyone's list!!!

Post more on this blog ~ actually, I'm pretty impressed with myself ~ and doing a decent job of posting regularly ~ I have no idea how people with kids, jobs, lives post on this everyday or even every couple of days....I can't seem to manage it....of course my life isn't all that exciting that I have something to say everyday or even every couple of days.....

Count my blessings (more often) and be grateful for what I have in my life.  (This is one resolution I promise I will stick to and won't give up on ;)

Ok, I told you it was SHORT ~ LOL

HAPPY NEW YEAR ~ I'll be ringing it in at midnight eastern time ~ so I can be in bed at a decent hour.....God it sucks to be getting old!!!!

Be safe this New Year's Eve and if you're partying ~ please be responsible and don't drink and drive!!

Oh Christmas Tree

Oh Christmas Tree,
Oh Christmas Tree,
How lovely are your branches.....

We had help decorating our tree this year ~ We were looking after Ray's grandkids Tristan and Brenna and Josh and Tristan wanted to decorate it ~

I love these photos ~ Tristan handing Josh an ornament...

It's 2 photos, but looks like one....

It takes a lot of concentration....

...to get the tree just right!









While the boys were busy decorating the tree, I was busy baking....

Making pastry and then buttertarts....

And then we're all done :)

Great job on the tree boys...

Buttertarts

Chocolate Crinkle Cookies for the kids

Lemon Meringue Pie for Ray....

RAY, RAY.....hey, where's Ray??

watching TV in between naps ;

                



                 he's been
                    busy too ~

Count your blessings....

Count your blessings, name them one by one,
Count your blessings, see what God hath done!
Count your blessings, name them one by one,
Count your many blessings, see what God hath done.




things I'm grateful for today :)

1. love
2. family
3. friends
4. laughter
5. seeing my husband enjoying his grandkids

Christmas is Coming

Christmas is coming, 

The geese are getting fat, 

Please put a penny 

In the old man's hat. 

If you haven't got a penny, 

A ha'penny will do, 

If you haven't got a ha'penny, 

Then God bless you. 

Last night we went to "The Suspenders" Christmas concert at the Bell Centre.  I'm sick with a cold/flu and I really didn't want to go thinking it was just 3 guys standing there with instruments singing Christmas carols, asking the audience to participate.  The only thing I wanted to participate in was my pillow and bed!!!
However, these guys really put on a show ~ and I'm so glad I went.....I laughed so hard ~ they've taken popular songs, and made them into Christmas songs...here are just a few examples...
"Every year it's just another family brawl" to the tune of "another brick in the wall".

One of their sons came out looking like Justin Bieber and sang "U Smile" while photos of santa holding screaming children played on a big screen behind them.

With all their children (9) onstage holding wrapped gifts singing "I want to know what this is" to the tune of "I want to know what Love is"

Aaron doing "Cry Me A River" Cry me a river, cry me a river, I've cried all Christmas over you.....

And the song 12 Daze of Christmas that they wrote was hysterical.

Between all the costume changes and hijinks, they also did the standards, O Holy Night, Little Drummer Boy, Happy New Year, Winter Wonderland, Silent Night, they all have wonderful voices and have a harmony only a family can achieve.  My favorite was "The Prayer" that Alistair and Ashley sang together ~ it brought a tear to my eye.

From the left, Aaron, Ashley and Alistair Milne ~ The Suspenders.  You can find them on iTunes, their Christmas CD's are Snowball and Snowed In ~ their voices are great and their harmony is amazing.  If you ever get the chance to go and see them, make sure you don't miss out ~ even if you don't feel like going, go anyway, I promise you won't regret it  :)

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year

It's the most wonderful time of the year.
With the kids jingle belling,
and everyone telling you,
"Be of good cheer,"
It's the most wonderful time of the year.

There'll be parties for hosting,
marshmallows for toasting and
carolling out in the snow.
there'll be scary ghost stories and
tales of the glories of Christmases
long, long ago.

It's the most wonderful time of the year.
There'll be much mistletoeing
and hearts will be glowing,
when loved ones are near.
It's the most wonderful time of the year.

I don't know what's wrong with me this year ~ I'm actually in the Christmas spirit, something I haven't felt for quite some time....
I used to love Christmas ~ I was the Christmas Lady :)  My house was always decked out with knick knacks, lights, snowmen, santas, elves, reindeer, etc...  I wouldn't put anything on my tree unless it was homemade ~ most by me, but some by friends.

In June 2005 my husband passed away very suddenly and unexpectedly and this will be my 6th Christmas without him.  I faked the first couple Christmas' with friends quite well ~ although I didn't want anything to do with it, I wanted my son who was only 10 at the time to have a great one....so I made sure he did ~ Christmas 2005 if he wanted something ~ he got it :)  He didn't have to mention anything twice, it was under the tree for him.  The next year was good for him but I didn't go quite so crazy.    I met my husband now ~ Ray in August 2007 ~ Christmas 2007, 2008, 2009 were good, but Ray had lost his wife the same way I lost my husband, so both of us were very happy when the Christmas season ended and we could go back to our every day life.  Each year we talked about going away and just forgetting it was Christmas ~ but I wouldn't do that to my son ~ who despite all he'd been through with losing his dad, he still LOVED Christmas.  In fact, during those years, he was the one who decorated the house and put up the tree each year.

This year I have my house decorated the middle of November and I'm looking forward to the season.  Spending time with family and friends, turkey dinner and opening presents.  I'm looking forward to December 1, putting the tree up and having it decorated.  I've started shopping for the special gift for everyone, and I'm looking forward to wrapping them and putting them under the tree. I'm not sure what's come over me ~ but I like it :)

As much as I hated the saying (when people said it to me repeatedly after losing my husband) ~ Time heals all wounds, I guess it's true ~ it took a lot of time, but I'm ready to have a great Christmas this year!

Here's to you, Mrs. Robinson....

And here's to you, Mrs. Robinson
Jesus loves you more than you will know (Wo, wo, wo)
God bless you please, Mrs. Robinson
Heaven holds a place for those who pray
(Hey, hey, hey...hey, hey, hey)

Sung by Simon and Garfunkel

            

at 18 years old a beautiful young woman,

                                           as I met her at 79  still beautiful :)

I only knew her a 3 years ~ but in that short time I grew to love her.  She was a very kind and beautiful woman ~ she was quiet most of the time, but could stand up and speak her mind when necessary.   


She was recovering from a broken her hip when we learned the cancer in her bladder returned, and although she put up a good fight, she lost her battle November 21.  She is no longer in pain and is in Heaven with the husband and 2 children she lost much to soon in this lifetime.
God bless and keep you Mrs. Robinson ~ I will miss you <3

Old Dogs and Children and Watermelon Wine....

He said old dogs care about you even when you make mistakes
God bless little children while they're still too young to hate
As he moved away I got my pen and copied down that line
On old dogs and children and watermelon wine

Sung by Tom T. Hall

I love this dog.

His name is Theodore ~ He came as a bonus when I married Raymond.  He is the best dog I've ever known.  He listens, he's very gentle and patient, and he couldn't be more handsome!  We don't know his age, but guess it's 10 or 11, although by the way he plays you'd think he was much younger.  He was given to Ray for company when his wife passed away ~ they used to look after him from time to time when his previous owners went away on vacation.  

Lately, he's showing his age, he's slower moving and has a hard time jumping up on the couch or into bed at night, he limps due to sore hips.  We went out and bought him a big comfy bed, which he seemed to love when we brought it home, but he still insists on jumping on the couch and laying beside me instead of snuggling into it.

He loves going in the truck and camping with us ~ 

He's very patient with me when out for a walk, and I have to have a potty break!

My favorite photo of Theodore, I used my little Canon SD750 and just picked up the color green...  

Sorry No Song ~

I started this on Monday Nov 15 ~ posted it Nov 20 ~ it's a difficult thing to go through never mind write about.....

I have had a run of bad luck lately so haven't posted.  My mother-in-law is in the hospital and has been since September. She is 81 years and lived in her own house until she went into the hospital with a bladder infection that turned out to be a lump they took out and biopsied and told us it was cancer but they got it all...(what they didn't tell us was over 50% bladder cancer comes back).
While she recouped in a assisted living home, she fell and broke her hip ~ our medical system sucks ~ the hospital in her city couldn't take her so they phone hospitals in the lower mainland until they find one that will take her and the only one willing to admit her for surgery to fix her hip was an hour away!!  She got the surgery she needed, a couple screws in her hip and she went downhill from there, to the point of what I would call the closest thing to comatose you can get without actually being comatose ~ she didn't recognize anyone the few times she was awake ~ mostly she slept a lot and would open her eyes now and then, not 'see' anyone.  Her feet and hands were so cold and looked blue.  Her ankles were so swollen they looked deformed.  Her arms started to swell and she lost a lot of weight.  We were told the swelling is due to the kidneys shutting down ~ and the Dr. ask if we had arrangements for her as she wouldn't be much longer in this world.
Then one day we went into the hospital and she was sitting up drinking tea (on her own) and said Hi Ray, how are you?  We were flabbergasted ~ no more swelling, no cold blue hands or feet.  She couldn't walk or even get out of bed on her own, but it was so nice to be able to talk to her again.  She had no clue what she'd been through the last 2 - 3 weeks.  She wanted to go home!  We put her back on the wait list for Surrey ~ we'd taken her off as we thought she wouldn't survive long the ambulance ride.  So another 2 weeks and she's back in Surrey, thank God ~ and we've learned the cancer is back.  My husband had the horrible task of telling her and asking her if she wanted them to try and fix it ~ her answer ~ NO let me go.  She's now failing once again, and with no meds  or feeding tube or any measures to save her.  The dr. has ordered her some pretty stong medication to keep the pain at bay, and it's all a waiting game now....we try to keep her comfortable and pray she goes peacefully.  I will miss her, she is the sweetest lady I've ever met.

Sisters

Lord help the sister who comes between me and my sister,

and Lord help the sister who comes between me and my man....

Sung by Rosemary Clooney

When I first heard about the new reality show Sister Wives, I had several thoughts run through my head

• What is wrong with these people?
• 1 husband, 3 wives and 13 children under one roof, and 1 wife and her 3 children in a house a block away, that's a disaster waiting to happen... 
• are women really that desperate for a man in their life they would share with 3 other women??
• Typical horny man, what better way to get away with having your cake and eating it too...
• those poor children, no wonder the world is in this state, God help us all

When I sat to watch the show, I knew I'd hate the man who takes advantage of those poor lonely women....but I was completely surprised and shocked when the opposite happened and I really liked all these people....

 Meri, wife number 1 grew up in a polygamist home, and always knew she'd have this kind of marriage ~ she has 1 daughter with Kody, and celebrated her 20th wedding anniversary on the show, she works outside the home.

Janelle, wife number 2 has been married to Kody for 17 years, has 6 children and works outside the home.

Christine, wife #3 has been married to Kody for 16 years, has 6 children and stays home to take care of children and household chores ~ frankly Christine, I think you're the bravest of them all, I'd rather work outside the home and get a daily break from it all.

Robin is wife #4 she has 3 children from a previous marriage and recently married Kody and moved into a house 1 block away from the others.

Kody travels from home to home spending 1 night with each wife.  Now this is the part that drives me crazy ~ there is no way I could go to bed wondering what they were doing in the house above me, and how they were doing it.  Does he love her more than me?  Why does he touch her like that ~ he doesn't touch me like that...

To live this lifestyle and really make it work ~ you have to put all that behind you, and appreciate what you have in your *family* which they seem to have done.  I think the women work as hard on their relationship with each other, as they each do with their husband.  I really thought Kody would be taking advantage of these women, but I was touched when they showed how he gets up early everyday to go and say good bye to Janelle who leaves the house early to get to work on time.  And how moved he was with his oldest daughters decision to go into the Navy to become a doctor, how concerned he was with her high school education so she got accepted and not shut out because she was raised by a polygamist family.  How he said he checks on each child before he goes to bed himself, just to make sure they are safe and where they should be.

How they've been married for 20, 17 and 16 years respectfully and then another woman comes in to marry their husband and that really ruffles feathers, but they all get along without fighting or raising voices.  Meri (wife #1) tells us about her issues with jealousy but then tells us it was her who encouraged Kody to dance with Robin (wife #4) the first time they met ~ how she felt a connection with her first.  Christine tells how she was very upset seeing Kody kiss Robin the first time, because he's a married man and they shouldn't kiss outside marriage ~

They all seem like a very happy, healthy family with normal everyday issues that almost every family has at one time or another and a few that most people will never have ~ and I say good on them ~ it's great to see women get along and nurture and care for each other instead of stabbing each other in the back and only thinking of themselves.

Before you judge them, ask yourself this ~ wouldn't you rather know who your husband is sleeping with and be able to help choose them, then have him go out with the trashy woman at the office behind your back?

I'm a bitch, I'm a lover.....

I'm a bitch I'm a lover
I'm a child I'm a mother
I'm a sinner I'm a sant
I do not feel ashamed
I'm your hell I'm your dream
I am nothing in between
You know, you wouldn't want it any other way
Sung by Alanis Morrisette


Is it wrong that I do this stuff to my husband?? He thinks it's mean and wrong ~ but I think it's funny ~ I won't apologize but I will say I know I have a warped sense of humour....

I didn't put the sticker on his nose ~ he was bored and put it on to make us laugh....and he got busy and forgot it was there ~ we did a lot of stuff and seen a lot of people before someone ask him ~ what is that on your nose?  When he reached for it, and realized he had it on all night he told me through my fits of laughter, I was mean.... Call me warped, but I get a kick out of stuff like this...LMAO

She'll Be Coming 'Round The Mountain

She'll be coming 'round the mountain when she comes
She'll be coming 'round the mountain when she comes,
She'll be coming 'round the mountain, she'll be coming 'round the mountain,She'll be coming 'round the mountain when she comes.....


Friends of ours got a chance to have a 2 bedroom timeshare for a week in Whistler BC ~ and ask us to join them.  I answered YES out before she finished asking me the question!  We have 5 days and 4 nights and great friends to spend time with.


I live in the Greater Vancouver area and always wanted to visit Whistler.  I'm very happy I got the chance to ~ it is so scenic here ~ and every where you look it gets more beautiful ~ it's bustling with energy and there is no snow on the ground ~ they have bike trails ~ they take the chair lift to the top and bike down ~ who knew??

The condo we're staying in overlooks the Wizard ~ unfortunately it's not in operation right now ~ I'd love to sit on the balcony with a coffee and watch them go.  (I don't ski or bike ~ at all!!)

We went for a walk in the village and had our photo taken at the Olympic Rings ~ how cool is that?? 

We had a great dinner at the Keg and caught up with Robert and Joy.  The next morning we had a beautiful sunrise and a couple visitors on our balcony.

We went Squamish for lunch, and visited Brackendale ~ winter home of the Bald Eagle.  We didn't see any eagles, but we seen Canadian Geese :)

We went to Shannon Falls Provincial Park ~ what a beautiful place, so stunning...

We went sight seeing ~ and saw some awesome sights...

some very patriotic ~ this is a house...

We stopped to watch this guy fly fishing ~ incredible I'm not sure how he doesn't get all tangled up.

We went for scenic drives and came across this old forrest 

We even ran into the Mountain Host :)   I have no idea who the woman is. LOL

And on the way home we stopped at a view point and I took 4 photos and stitched them together to make this panoramic photo ~ simply beautiful :)

We really couldn't have had a better time ~ great friends, food, laughs, conversation ~ Thanks Robert and Joy,