Ugly Sweaters on Beautiful Ladies

Not only was I blessed in my previous job to have great co-workers, I am again blessed to have a new (2 years young) family of co-workers that I think are pretty special.  You are probably all quite tired of me bragging about how much I love my new job but in all honesty it's always the people that make the workplace what it is.  Each year a different department of the school takes turns hosting the administrative support staff Christmas party.  This year, it was ours!  Marci pretty much organized the whole thing, while the rest of us just followed orders.

 The theme was 'Ugly Christmas Sweaters'.  These were our works of art. 

 We used the home-ec kitchen to prep our food.  One of our TAs, Hilary does some catering on the side and graciously cooked and served our turkey dinner to us.  It was very very good!  I'd never had a brined turkey before and I have to say it was mighty juicy and delicious.

 Lin (the librarian) and I modelling our festive wear.

 Here's the gang of us.  Not everyone could make it but it was a nice size to be able to visit and have fun.

 Marci and Val who I work with and Sandra who works in the band department at the highschool.

 Good eating!

 Who says people from accounting departments are dull?  Myra was the life of the party!

 We played a few games, had a fashion show, opened gifts and had many many laughs.  It was a great evening!

Been Eatin'

I haven't had a food post in a while.  How about I fix that for you?

My family got a very hearty, warm, stick to your ribs (and hips) meal the other night.  Shepherd's Pie and Mini Butterhorns.  You would NOT believe how easy those butterhorns are to make.  Three ingredients only....butter, flour and cottage cheese.  You heard me right.

Moving On

Even though I left Prospera Credit Union over two years ago now, I am still very much in touch with my former co-workers.  Well, one of them is my BFF so we would be in touch anyhow but so many of those ladies were part of my life for 15 plus years!  We just have a connection that will always be there.  This wonderful lady, Margo who is pictured between Kori and I, hired me back in March of 1993.  I was a meek, shy girl and she was able to see through that and gave me a job as a teller.  Through my entire career at the credit union, I followed Margo where ever she went.  She was such a fabulous manager that I would not nor could not work for anyone else.  She was the epitome of such a professional, calm, fair and caring manager.  I trailed her from West Oaks branch to Clearbrook branch and then to the Contact Centre.  She was one of the reasons why I stayed employed there long after I felt it was time to perhaps look for a different job.  It was hard to leave her!  She also saw me through the dating years, onto being engaged, married, a first time mom, a second time mom AND a third time mom....all the milestones!!!

Now she is moving on and leaving the credit union.  I was so priveledged to be a part of her farewell dinner.  I know we will always stay in touch.  She is a woman to be respected and admired!  Thank you Margo for everything.

My Cousin

Did you know that my cousin Carly is currently Abbotsford's only female auxillary firefighter?  She's just so famous that she has made it onto the promotional material.  We're very proud of her.  She beat out a lot of guys to get this position.  Oh and in case you were interested she drives a semi-trailer truck for a living.  She's definitely no typical young lady!

R.A.K.

I just had the most awesome random act of kindness directed my way yesterday.
I went to the post office to mail off a Christmas present to my sponsored child in the Ukraine.  It was a small parcel so I didn't expect it to cost too much.
The postal worker weighed and measured it and then told me it would cost $20 for airmail and $10 for surface.  I knew that if I chose surface it wouldn't arrive in time for Christmas YET the airmail cost more than what was in the package! 
I reluctantly chose surface and said to the clerk:  "I guess getting a Christmas present in January is okay too".  The clerk then said, "I'm sure she'll get spoiled with gifts anyhow...it won't matter."  To which I replied that she is living in an orphange and probably won't get much at all.
The clerk paused a moment and then said, "Let me re-weigh this because I think you were just slightly over 250 grams which put the parcel into the next category in regards to price." 
Then to my surprise she put the parcel on the scale....but left half of the package hanging off the scale. 
"There!" she said....."Now it's 250 grams."
So with the new weight, it would cost me $10 to send it airmail and Lubya will get her gift in time for Christmas.
Thank you Clearbrook Post Office!  This is not the first time I have had a clerk at this outlet go above and beyond for me.

The cockles of my heart have been thoroughly warmed!

What I Don't Do

Post stealer...that's what I am.  My friend in Oz posted something that I could not help but borrow.  It can help put a 'real' spin on my blog.  As you know I endevour to mostly post positive material.  But yes, real life happens around here and it's not always pretty!

I don't clean my fridge regularly.  I once knew a girl who told me she cleaned/washed out her fridge each time she went grocery shopping.  I was/am in awe of such a thing.  I wash out my fridge oh....maybe two times a year.  If that grosses you out, too bad.

I don't put things away properly. I will toss things in a cupboard and quickly slam it shut so it all doesn't fall back out.  My pots and pans cupboard is atrocious and my pantry is very messy.  I sometimes ended up buying so many extra dry goods because I don't realize what a stock pile I have towards the back of the shelves!

I don't call as often as I should and I won't answer the phone. But I'm a pretty quick emailer! I blame being on the phone for most of my working life in a contact centre. If there was no email I would be a hermit.

I don't wear do any devotions and praying regularly can be a challenge.  It's shameful....there are no words.

I don't treat telemarketers very nicely.  I am sorely sick of them and take out my frustrations on them.  Keith thinks I am very rude and I think he is way too nice!

I don't dust unless company is coming.  So there.

I don't 'do' emotional situations.  People who are hurting, crying or in distress make me severely uncomfortable.  I don't know how to handle these types of situations.  Very very awkward to me.  I don't cry in front of others either....ugh.  A nightmare kind of situation for me.

I don't iron unless I have to. And that comes to less than six times a year...just guessing!

I don't start things I can't finish.  I am impatient and need to see results fairly quickly.  This is why I could not do scrapbooking or a sewing project.  I feel no satisfaction from the process...just the results.  Therefore I have very few hobbies.  Okay, no hobbies!

I'll end it here although I could keep typing.  Can you relate to anything I shared?!

Christmas Balance

How do you as a family balance the gifts at Christmas?
Do you give your child everything on their list?
Do you set a dollar limit on the amount you spend on them?
How does one shift the kids' atttiudes from getting to giving?

This year we will try something new and will be putting a portion of what we normally spend on the kids towards life-changing gifts for others through World Vision.  My kids have agreed to this with cheerful attitudes....much to my delight.

Tell me your thoughts!

Cookies!

I impulsively picked up this magazine several weeks ago at the grocery store.  I am tired of all my holiday baking recipes and needed some inspiration.  This inspiration came to me at a price of $12.99!  I didn't notice the price until I got home and checked my receipt.  I about died BUT there are no ads in the magazine and it's stuffed full of yummy looking recipes.  So it's justifed, right?

My first try yesterday were Cinnamon Coffee Cookies.  They are great!  But must not let the kiddies eat too many as they contain chocolate covered coffee beans.  We don't want them buzzed at school!

Forts

I loved making and playing in forts when I was a kid.  Nate and Chad introduced Liam to the joy of this yesterday afternoon.  He played in there ALL day.  Lovely!

PS.  Can you spot what is 'wrong' in this picture?

Full Price?

RC 2N1 GR T                     9.18 G
  048454  4000         1 @ 22.95
  Item Discount 60%      -13.77
  117 - 60% Off

BASIC WARMEST                  27.98 G
  036444  4000         1 @ 69.95
  Item Discount 60%      -41.97
  117 - 60% Off


Total Discount       -55.74


One should almost never have to pay full price for clothing...especially kids clothes!!!
Today I scored with a '60% off two items coupon' from The Gap.  Liam got a new winter coat and shirt.

And So It Begins...

Way too cold to open my door to take a proper photo so the poor quality will have to be blamed on that!

Toasty Toes

I am going to have warm feet this winter!  Except mine are black...didn't have my size in grey, darn it!

Short But Very Sweet

This past weekend, Keith and I took off to Harrison Hot Springs Resort.  If you can believe it, I had a gift certificate sitting in my drawer for TWO years with enough money on it for a two night stay.  We had just been waiting for the perfect time to use it. 
Oh it was divine to just do what we liked, when we liked and not have to think about anyone else for two days.  We ate plenty, relaxed, soaked in the mineral pools, saw a movie, shopped a bit and then repeated that exercise.  We had wanted to walk around the lake and village but the weather was terrible each day.  Driving rain, wind gusts and bone-chilling temps kept us inside.  Just getting in and out of the pools in that weather was painful enough!
We enjoyed trying out three new restaurants this weekend as well.  We ate at 'Kitami' which is a Japanese restaurant in the village.  Very delicious teriyaki beef and tempura!  The next evening we checked out 'The Crazy Fish Bistro' and had an excellent meal.  I had cajun snapper and Keith had a seafood pasta...both so tasty.  On our way home we had a late lunch in town at 'Original Joe's'.  Really good portions and good eats there as well!  We ate so well that there was never room for dessert...this is tragic.
We also did a little bit of shopping.  We had driven into Mission for a matinee and then I wanted to check out 'Urban Planet'.  What a great store at first glance.  I loaded up on oodles of clothes with pretty good prices...could not wait to try it all on.  After SQUEEZING into the first sweater I knew this was not the store for me.  Their size large is like a small at most other stores.  I could not spot an XL for the life of me so that wasn't even an option.  It was disappointing but now I never need to go back there!  I'll leave it to the tweens and teens.
The pools were fantastic at the resort.  The first night the adult pool was SO crowded.  I'd never seen it like that!  So many languages too....there must have been many international guests.  The hotel must have been at full capacity for the weekend. The second night the pool was much less crowded but it was raining and raining hard.  So we sat in the hot mineral pool with icy rain pelting down on our heads and shoulders.  After a while it became quite refreshing and we ended up spending two hours there.
And where were the boys, you ask?
My mom had offered to take them for us and they had a great time too!
They went swimming (where Chad jumped off the high dive for the first time!), stained and varnished Nate's night table, put out the bird feeders and seed, visited Grandap at the Menno Home, watched a movie, shopped for their Operation Christmas Child Shoeboxes and from what I hear they ate my parents out of house and home.

 The wind was so strong I could barely keep my eyes open.  Hence the pained, squinty look.

There is still some color on the mountains....but not for long.

The boys always get a little something after we've been away.  Chocolate covered marshmallows were a hit.

Thank you Mom and Dad for taking the kids.  It let us really relax and we didn't have to worry about them one bit while we were gone.

Honouring

Each of these movies have really touched my heart in regards to warfare.  They are so well done, gripping, awful, touching and I really think you ought to watch at least one of them!  They don't glorify war but are brutally real.  The words on the pages of a text book could never move me as much as seeing it portrayed in a film.
Take a moment to be thankful for these brave men and women of our past.

Scrape It No More

I do love my husband but he tends to be an all or nothing kind of guy.  He goes gung-ho on a project OR it sits abandoned. He really doesn't know how to pace himself.  I made him promise me over the summer (several times) that I would be parking in the garage by the time the cold weather arrived.  Well,  after a few weeks of scraping windows and shivering while the car warmed up he finally got sick of my long sighs, hints and down right nagging.  Last night he cleaned, stacked, organized and was happy to let me know at 11:30 pm that my car was indeed 'indoors' for night and could be from now on.  I'm a very happy girl.

There is still plenty to do in the garage to get it just right but at least I'll be warmer in the mornings!  It's a tad smaller than our previous garage and definitely not as deep so we aren't sure if we'll ever get our second car in there.  No matter...the Jetta has seat warmers so at least it won't be as painful to get that one warmed up in the mornings.  The actual garage door is on it's last legs so it's on the radar to get a new one.  The money-pit...aka house (loved that movie back in the '80s) is alive and well.

Lots and Lots of Leaves

 Thanks to an impromtou suggestion from Kori, we headed for a big hike up to the Abbey yesterday.  I knew it would be a challenge with a three year old but we braved it anyhow!  He had a great view from him personal chariot. 

 It was wonderful to crunch through the maples leaves and we had the trails all to ourselves.  Not one other person was seen.

 It was cool and crisp.  My favorite kind of fall day.

 We made it up to the view point and rested up.

 Liam loves the 'big boys' and tries to keep up with them best he can.  I've got to find this child some friends his own age one day.

 Getting all the kids posed can be a bit of work...mostly because of a certain someone who was missing his nap!

The adults all pose very cooperatively...but we couldn't get rid of Liam! 

Great hike and great company but I do fear sore muscles are close on the horizon!

My Boyz

When Will I Learn?

I have a confession. 

I still, on occassion, have a bit of a bad attitude about having a toddler in my life.  These times are growing further and further apart but it does rear it's ugly head.

For instance, sometime people will say to me:
I'm sure you could never imagine your life without Liam in it.  And I will reply that, actually I still remember the good ole days of freedom and spontenaity.  Last minute plans, activities in the afternoon during naptime....those days are gone.

Mostly, I've adjusted.  Of course....this is my life, it would be immature to still be in a funk about how 'my plan' for my life didn't go according to my blueprint.  It's not about ME anyhow.

But like I said, there are times when I say things that perhaps I should not.  Just this past week I was talking with a new staff member and she was asking my children's ages and then just kind of moved the conversation to a place about how having this third surprise baby was challenging, frustrating etc.  I felt bad afterwards as I hoped I hadn't given the impression that I didn't love my Liam.

Anyhow, last night I had a dream about Liam.  I dreamed that we had put him up for adoption when I found out we were expecting.  The adoption process was very long and finally when he was three years old (present day) it was time for him to go to his new home.  And it was the family across the street!  The feeling of loss and terror and agony as they took him away was so fierce that when I woke up I was just SO relieved it was just a dream. 

I believe that God gave me this dream to give me a bit of a smack upside the head.

I also believe that God has given us a few close calls with Liam to show me again and Again and AGAIN that yes, I love him and yes he was brought to our family for a good purpose.  Mostly, I think to keep me from being selfish.  I've always thought that my two worst attributes were selfishness and impatience.  Keith was brought to my life to teach me patience and Liam for my selfishness.  Of course I could be completely off the mark here but I've thought about this a lot.

Needless to say, there are many other things I need to work on in my life and I don't even know where I am going with my thoughts here but be thankful for the unplanned or difficult things that come your way.  They will change you and hopefully for the better.

The end.

Why It's TGIF

Friday is my favorite day of the week.  It always has been.  Being on the brink of a weekend is always a good place to be.   It's been a painful week due to a knot or something in my neck which is radiating down my back and arm.  It's not excruciating but always a nagging pain that makes me a bit grumpy.  Of course, I am hoping it'll remedy itself.  I bought new pillows for our bed hoping that perhaps that will help.  As much as I was accustomed to my old pillow it was quite flat and didn't give very much support.  Keith has been giving me massages which are painful but I do think it's helping work out the knots. 

Sadly my new computer has give the blue screen of death twice now so I have Keith calling the tech support line today to see if this is something to be concerned about.  I really don't want to have to start from scratch on a new system so I hope it's something that can be fixed easily.

Friday is usually a night when we have a movie night with the kids which we all enjoy.  There is never too much family time.  I took out a few selections from the library this week we can choose from.

Tomorrow is busy with Nate being whisked off to drama rehearsal and then Chad and Liam have their very last swimming lesson.  I am having my brother over for supper as another 'painting payment' for the great job he did on Nathan's closet shelves.  I am going to make Village Girl's seafood lasagna which looks absolutely delicious and perfect comfort food for these chilly days.

The weather has been beautiful with foggy mornings and sunny afternoons.  Keith and I have been out walking several times this week in the evenings which is so good for us.  It works out the stress of the day and gives us a chance to chat and catch up without interruptions from the kids.

Well, that's enough rambling for now.  Enjoy your weekends!

Crafty Guys

Nathan and his best buddy Andrew came home today with their construction projects.  Andrew made a gumball machine and Nathan made a nightstand.  Both items are well made and I know they really enjoyed using some 'real' machines to accomplish this.  At their school they get to choose five exploratories.  They were happy to be in construction together for their first rotation.  Now they are on section two and Nate is taking cooking and Andrew is in Info-Tech.  Even though they are not in the same class or home form this year they really enjoying being at the same school after a two year hiatus.  I am thankful for good friends in Nathan's life!