Three More Sleeps....

....And then I'm off to Blue Mountain for a scrapbook retreat with Go Scrapping!! I can't wait!! I should be spending my time tonight packing my stuff up and getting organized, but I'm distracted. Not by anything in particular, just life in general. I'm not sure how time flies by so quickly and how it can be over a month since my last post and yet I'm pretty sure I've been busy!!

I keep thinking one of these days I'm going to get it together...I am in awe of those of you who are married and/or have kids...how the heck do you do it???!!!

You say it's your birthday...

My MOST favourite day of the whole year is definitely my birthday!! I love it!! Even more than Christmas. It's the only day that's all about me. What more could I ask for? I had dinner with my family a couple of weeks ago and my Mom made me a Turtle birthday cake. It was the best. I have been collecting turtles for years (I think I have over 200 of them) and my Mom loves giving me turtles. I seriously think my cake this year was one of my favourite turtles ever!! And it was yummy!

I don't think it matters how old you get, there's nothing like your Mom baking you a birthday cake.
My actual birthday was this past Saturday and my main man made me a wonderful dinner and hung streamers and blew up balloons and we had a couple of friends and the kids join us. It was awesome. Seriously, there is nothing I like better than my birthday!
Happy 41st to me!!

There's a kid in me....

A couple of weeks ago we went to Huntsville with some friends for the weekend. They have access to a condo at the Grandview Resort and we had a blast. These friends have two small children (2 & 4) and the four year old was having a hoot going down the slide over and over again. I just HAD to try it out. So, while I can hardly believe I'm posting a picture of myself in my bathing suit on my blog, I had to share that I was more afraid of hitting the water than the four year old was. Check out that look on my face!! It was fantastic and for some strange reason I was proud of myself for giving it a go!! When do we start worrying about looking like a kid and start missing out on all the fun?? I also played tennis for the first time ever that weekend and I think I did pretty good!! This loving life thing rocks!!!

Proud of our Athletes!!

I am totally hooked on watching the Olympics and cheering on our athletes!! I'm so proud of how well they are doing and love watching the medal count rise!!

I was VERY disappointed by the nay-saying that went on about our athletes before any medals had been won. Come on! That's when they need us to cheer the loudest and continue to give them our support, what are we Leaf fans??

They make me proud of the perseverance, the talent and ability, and the pride they have for this country we call home. Go Canada Go! I hope you can hear me in Beijing!!

Friends all over the place!!

This week I have been on holidays. It has been a fantastic week.

Friday night Matt & I went to the Rogers cup and got to see Rafael Nadal play. He is amazing! Saturday I went to a party for one of my closest friends who has recently purchased her first home! Way to go Gracie!! And then from there was able to join some more friends for a barbeque. Sunday Matt & I got up early to drive to Manitoulin, and on the way see Alex off to camp for the next three and a half weeks (I wish I could have joined Alex, he's going to have such an amazing time). Our time on Manitoulin was good (ok...maybe a little stressful since the senior at camp was a wee bit cranky and beligerent). When I got home on Wednesday night I got a wonderful treatment from Jenn and dinner served! Wow! We had a most enjoyable evening, capped off with a trip to a couple of fun stores (Jenn is a very bad influence). And then yesterday, I was out and about and bumped into both Amber and Mo. It was so great to see their smiling happy faces!! And since it was Amber and Mo and I had just been with Jenn the night before it made me yearn a bit for my crop room....so today I had to go by Lucy's to see what she has on sale and to pick up the layout I had entered in her contest (sadly, I did not win...but I'm glad I entered it because Lucy tells me I did not come in last and I felt very brave entering it!!).

I am so grateful not only for the opportunity to have some holidays, but to have friends that make it such fun! I find myself in my crop room tonight pulling some paper together with a strong desire to create something! Anything! It is great to live in a city like K-W where you can bump into those you don't always get the chance to spend much time with. Thank you friends. I hope I bump into more of you soon!

I love being Canadian!!

On the weekend Matt hosted an impromptu Canada Day barbeque in his driveway for the neighbours. It was so much fun and since he lives on such a great street with such great neighbours a good time is bound to happen! We had a ceremonial changing of the flag and everyone sang 'Oh Canada'. A little off key maybe, but proud nonetheless!

Wahoo....summer is here!!

OK...I'm feeling much better and now can get excited that summer is officially upon us. I know, it's very hot and sticky but I will take that ANY day over snow!! I was thinking about how much time I used to spend outside as a kid, and how much I used to love it....and I'm thinking I need to get back to those roots. It's tough sometimes with the allergies, but I really think I need to embrace the outdoors and find the little girl (above with my big sister Sandy) who could spend hours just being one with nature. I don't see any gardening in my future, but enjoying someone else's gardens is definitely on the list! Bring on the sun.....

I really don't like being sick....

Ok...seriously, it's been a week now and I'm done being sick. I am tired of coughing and feeling tired and having disgusting coloured stuff come from somewhere within me. On the upside, I did go to the doctor today to get some drugs. So, I shall now start the mantra...

I am feeling all better and am no longer sick. I am feeling all better and am no longer sick (will this really work??). I am feeling all better and am no longer sick.

Walk for ALS.....

Sometimes life sucks. Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) also commonly known as Lou Gehrig's Disease, is a rapidly progressive and ultimately fatal neuromuscular disorder that causes the degeneration of a select group of nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord. As the nerve cells die, people with ALS lose control of their muscles, causing paralysis and making breathing, eating, and even smiling almost impossible. There is no known cause, cure or drug therapy of consequence.

On June 7, 2008 I will be going to Sudbury to support one of my favourite people in the world, his family and friends on the Walk for ALS. I will be a very proud member of team "Bruce's Buddies". The point of the walk is to raise funds towards ALS Research. Bruce is one of my oldest and dearest friends (we went to camp together when we were teenagers) and he was diagnosed with ALS over two years ago.

If you are interested in supporting my walk financially, or just providing some moral support, the link to my website for this walk is below. Check it out if you get a chance!

http://www.als.ca/events/mysite.aspx?fid=2128

Remember to stop, love and embrace those who make your world a beautiful place to be. And give an extra hug to those who make the world a little more difficult, they may be needing the love a little more. Life is way too short.

xoxo

OHL Champions!!!

Have I mentioned how much I love the Kitchener Rangers??!! They won their game tonight, which makes them the OHL Champions going into the Memorial Cup on Friday! It was such an exciting game and they played amazing. I had been frustrated for the last couple of days by people who call themselves fans but were "angry" at the Rangers for not winning the series against Belleville before tonight. They lost so few games all season that their fans came to expect them to win easily. I think a battle that is harder to win is sweetest!! There were people that didn't go tonight because they thought the Rangers would lose and they (the so-called fans) couldn't handle the stress! What about those boys on the ice that need the fan support? Who play hard for us all year and win!! Shouldn't we be there to cheer them on when they need an extra boost or some extra support?
I'm so proud of these guys and I can't wait to see them play in the Memorial Cup!
Go Rangers Go!

Baby Sam...

I have a new baby nephew and his name is Sam!! He was born in Barrie on April 21st and weighed in at a healthy 7 lbs, 14 oz. Mom is doing well (he arrived via c-section) and brother PJ is overwhelmed with his new brother!!

I haven't had the chance to go meet him yet....see post below and life being so busy...but I plan to go VERY soon! I can hardly wait to hold him and take in his baby essence!! It's good to fill up on babiness every now and then...

Time flies....too fast for me....

Seriously...where does the time go? I am finding lately that time is racing past and I'm struggling to get all the things done I want to do....like keeping my blog up to date! I know my family and friends would tell me I need to say No sometimes, but who wants to say no and miss the fun?

Matt & Lauren are home (last Friday) and had a wonderful time. They took some awesome pics and really had a fantastic adventure. I'm really happy for both of them! I am wondering if I might do a Paris album for them...might be too much for me...

The Go Scrapping retreat was FANTASTIC!! I was so pleased with all my layouts (and yes, proud of myself for stepping outside my comfort zone and learning some new techniques and actually getting my hands dirty....). And the "fan wave" I received around the table was greatly appreciated!

This week I'm staying at my friend Jodi's house while her and her husband are on a cruise. She has three boys. I have no experience parenting...and I'm a little nervous and worried that I don't do something stupid...so far so good. Tonight, we're off to the Ranger game!!

I think I need to figure out how to slow down and enjoy....but not miss those things I really want to do....as a Libra, I should be able to balance this out, shouldn't I??

Leaving....On a Jet Plane...

No...not me...

Tomorrow I'm driving Matt and his beauty daughter to the airport. They are going to Paris for 11 days. I'm so excited for them (and an itsy bit jealous). They are going to have a fabulous time and see some wonderful things. I hope they get a chance to enjoy each other and spend some time chatting and laughing!! And take tons of pictures for me to scrap!!

I will miss Mattie a lot!! Even though I don't see him (or even talk to him) every day, it'll be weird not to be able to just pick up the phone and call him! Just think of all we'll have to chat about when he gets home. I hope he figures out how to get his email while he's there so I can at least keep him tuned in to the Rangers!!

Unfortunately they fly back to Toronto the day I leave for the Go Scrapping Stratford Retreat....I guess they'll have to hire a car to pick them up at Pearson!

I've been tagged?? What the heck??

I've been tagged by Karen at alittlebitofthis-karen.blogspot.com
Now to come up with seven things about me that you might actually want to read....

Here are the Rules about the TAG:

1. Post the name and URL of the person who tagged you
2. Post the rules
3. Write seven things about yourself
4. Put the links in to your 7 favourite blogs
5. Name 7 people you are going to tag
6. Post a comment on their blog to say they've been tagged.

Seven things about me:
- I love to scrapbook and buy scrapbook stuff and hang out with fellow (or should that be lady) scrapbookers...but I'm as slow as molasses on getting anything done and I'm not very good. For the most part I'm ok with that, but there is a little piece of me that thinks I should be making faster progress with my creativity.

- I live a blessed life. I have a lovely apartment, a man who loves me and a full time job I enjoy. I am healthy (although I really need to lose some weight), I have wonderful friends and a family I'm proud of.

- I am a WLU graduate and my degree is one of my most proud accomplishments. OK...it was almost 20 years ago and maybe I should think about stepping it up again...

- I have eight brothers and sisters. My parents are divorced and remarried. I have a sister and brother who are at the core of who I am, and three step-sisters and three step-brothers who I respect and am proud to have as "bonus" siblings.

- I am way more comfortable in a small setting than at a big party. I love small social gatherings where you can have great conversation and really enjoy each other's company. I'm usually very nervous in a large group of people and feel "lost".

- I am a TV addict. I watch Oprah, Dancing with the Stars, CSI Miami, American Idol, The Amazing Race, CSI, ER, Survivor, Lost, Numbers, Oprah's Big Give, Ranger Hockey, Without a Trace, Inside the Actor's Studio, and seriously this list could go on and on and on...it's disgusting.

- I don't cook. I don't like it, I'm not very good at it and it sucks to cook for one person. So I don't. I'm lucky when I'm at Matt's, he cooks. I eat out way more than I should because I hate to cook. I do like a fried egg sandwich and french toast and salad...so I am able to "throw" some stuff together when I get hungry. But I don't enjoy it.

My favourite blogs are listed to the right....check em out. My friends have great blogs.

Seven friends I'm going to tag? Seriously? They'll kill me. Ok...I'm going to tag Karen (who already did this and was the one to tag me - don't care if that's cheating), I'm going to tag Mindy (who has already done this so she doesn't have to do it again), I'm going to tag Tracy (who Mindy already tagged), I'm going to tag Jenn, I'm going to tag Michelle (I know...Mindy already tagged her too...)...holy crap that's only five...oh well...it'll have to do.

I've been negligent....

It's true...I've been out of the "blogging" thing for a couple of weeks. I have a list of excuses, I mean reasons, why I've been negligent....I was sick for almost a week, I've been very busy doing stuff, I haven't felt like it, I have been watching tv, I didn't have much to say, my computer was turned off....

But now I'm back! And can I just tell you how happy I am to see the sun shining and the snow melting. I know, we'll probably get more snow since we're just moving into April....but come one, spring is not far now!!! Wahoo! This has been one long agonizing winter for me. I know...I live in Canada, what do I expect? It's not really about what I expect, it's about what I want. Two months of winter (instead of five going on six) is more than enough for me!

Happy Spring Friends!

I'm in love with Jon....

OK....last night I went to see Bon Jovi with some friends and fell in love with the man on the stage. I have enjoyed his music for years (hello..teenager from the 80s here), and of course I suspected I might be in love with him when he was on Ally McBeal, but nothing prepared me for seeing him in concert. Wow. He is beautiful, charismatic, entertaining, energetic, beautiful, talented, loves Canada, did I mention beautiful? He moved to the top of my list (sorry Marky Mark...you're now #2). The problem with last night is the need to see him again....Have I mentioned I'm in love?

Go Rangers Go

I love Ranger Hockey!! This weekend I got to see two games at the Aud. They lost on Friday night - the officiating was terrible and there was a lot of testosterone on the ice with fists flying! But this afternoon they were victorious (despite more questionnable officiating) and tied a Ranger team record for most wins in the regular season. They still have a few games left in the regular season so I think they will go on to beat that record. I'm so excited for the playoffs and for the Memorial Cup, right here in our own backyard!

Go Rangers Go

Elton John can sing to me anytime...

On Monday night Matt & I went to see Elton John. It was WAY better than our Saturday entertainment (at least in my opinion...Matt's still on cloud 9 from his KISS experience). I know it's taken me a few days to actually put fingers to keyboard and gush away, but know that it's not for lack of something to say. It was fantastic!! We had great seats and the music was wonderful. He is a legend, a true talent, and it was a real honour to be in the audience and listen to him. Just him and the piano. What more can a girl ask for??

Youth Revisited....What a Night!

Last night we went to see a KISS tribute band at the Edelweiss Tavern in Kitchener. My man decided to paint his face, along with a couple of buddies of his. He just loves KISS and has been a huge fan since he was a teenager....he knows all the words to all the songs and he was in HEAVEN last night!! I have to admit that KISS is not my kind of music, but to watch him have soooo much fun last night made it one of the best times I've had in a long time. He was dancing and singing and even chatting it up with the tribute band. I got some excellent photos (can't wait to scrapbook them), but the best thing I got out of the night was watching my best friend have the night of his life. I always thought I should try and get him tickets to see the real KISS if they ever come anywhere near here....I told him this morning I'm worried the real thing might be too much for him!! Rock on my man!

I need some spring!!

I am trying really hard to be a good Canadian. I'm trying to force myself to believe that I like winter. It's not working.

Please....can we have some spring.

Symphony Night!

Yep...tonight I'm going to get some culture. We have tickets to the Symphony to see "Sorry I'm Canadian". I think it's going to be pretty good...and I'll get a little culture at the same time. Not to mention we're going out for dinner before hand, it'll be like a date! Now, that I can sink my teeth into....

Still to come....Kiss tribute band, Elton John, Bon Jovi....

Yes, a little mature culture is probably a good thing.

Family Day!

I have loved loved loved having today off. I seem to suffer from the winter blues, and it has been wonderful having a long weekend (with little planned) in the middle of February. I feel like it has been great for me to rejuvenate myself, get some sleep and chill. I have read there are some who are upset with this new holiday. And while it is not my intention to judge those who are complaining (who by the way seem to be the ones who already get more stat holidays than the rest of us, like both Friday and Monday off for Easter, as well as Remembrance Day), I do have to say it feels great and has been such a gift. I hope I get to celebrate it again next year! What a wonderful excuse for a recognized holiday! How many more days until spring??

Happy Valentine's Day!

While it may be corny, I really do love Valentine's Day. I love red & pink, I love the candies, I love the idea of a day devoted to sharing your love. Yeah yeah...I share my love every day, but isn't it kind of nice to have a day specifically devoted to that and to remind us to stop and share if we've forgotten? And maybe I'm a little excited about having plans tonight - dinner & a concert - but it's not just that....I think it's just about being in love. With life.

My Girlie is 16

I can't believe it....my beautiful niece turned 16 yesterday. I wonder if it amazes parents as much as it does aunts when you stop and think about how old those kiddies are that used to be so dependent. I'm so proud of my niece. I love the lady she is becoming. Happy Birthday Babe!

Concert Mania

OK....not since I was in my twenties have I had this many concerts lined up!! We're going to see Collective Soul next week (on Valentine's Day...I'm not really sure we can classify it as a Valentine celebration when we're going with a group...I'm thinking there should still be treats for me!!). We have tickets to see Elton John on the 3rd and then I'm off to see Bon Jovi on the 10th. That's three concerts within a month. For me. The girl who likes to be home, in the quiet, with her scrapbook tools and TV near by. Hope I don't overload on all this fantastic music!!

Pilates....wow!

Three weeks ago I took my first Pilates class. My abs hurt so much two days later, I could barely sneeze (and if you know me, you know I sneeze a lot!). Tonight I did my third class and while I think it might be getting a little easier, it would appear that my abs are already tender...does this mean I won't be able to get out of bed tomorrow??

Look at me....I have a Blog!

Yep....I've taken the next step in my technological adventure....I actually have my own Blog. I'm thinking it will be fun and a great way to journal my daily (ok...maybe weekly) adventures. Hope I actually have something to say!