I love this Family!!!

I was so honoured to join Matt, Lauren & Alex to have some family photos done! They turned out so great and we were really relaxed and enjoyed the experience with Christine of Click Photography!! She's amazing! She even made me look good! I thought I'd share a couple of my favourites...

This is our 80's Rock Band Album Cover...

Me and my boy...I'm such a lucky girl!!


And on a side note, thank you to everyone for their love and support through such a rough time. My step-Dad, Ian, is doing so much better. He came home last Saturday for the day with my Mom and will be coming home for a weekend visit this weekend. If all goes well, he'll be home to stay the last weekend of August. My Mom is a little nervous about it...but she is so excited to have him come home. I'm very proud of both of them!!

What a rough week

This has been a rough week for me. On Thursday I got a call from my Mom at work that my step-dad had had a stroke while they were on a holiday of sorts near Manitoulin. They had transported him to Owen Sound and didn't know what was wrong with him. I jumped in my car and headed to be with my Mom. They were flown home to Belleville on Monday (I came home on Sunday) and today he is doing much better. He'll be in the hospital for a while and will be getting some therapy while he's there. The good news is he's off all the machines and monitors and holding his own. And he's one determined man, so I know he'll fight to get back to where he was! My Mom is doing well and happy to be home in her own bed and closer to more family and lots of friends.

On Tuesday morning one of my favourite people and closest friends, Bruce, passed away after a 3 1/2 year battle with ALS (Lou Gehrig's Disease). While I know he's now at peace, my heart is heavy and I can't help feeling a little lost. I am heading to Sudbury tomorrow to the visitation and funeral and to spend some time (hopefully) with his wonderful wife, Eileen, and their two very gorgeous boys, Ian and Mark.

Just a few weeks ago I was pondering the circle of life, and now I feel like it's hit me upside the head. What a crazy path we have to take to get us to where we're supposed to be.

The picture above is Bruce & I at the Walk for ALS on June 13th. I'm so thankful for all the beautiful memories. Rest easy my friend. I love you and I miss you terribly.

I survived!

So we went to Sarnia Bayfest and saw KISS live. Yes, my man painted his face before we left K-W (we were gone by 3:10 pm) and didn't wipe it off until we got home around 3:00 am. We stood and stood and stood...we got to Sarnia around 5:30 and KISS came on around 10:00 and played for over two hours. My feet have never hurt so bad in my life! I will say that I took a small break early in the evening...but there was no giving up our very cool spot about 40 feet from the stage. Matt was in heaven. Me, I've now learned that it's not really about the vocals for KISS, it's all about the crazy show they put on for their crazy fans. Man are they loyal to each other! And now I figure I have some money in the bank for when I want to do something I deem cool...oh yeah!

Countdown to KISS

Yep...it's true...the countdown to KISS has begun...two more sleeps! I have to be honest with my blogging friends and tell you I'm not crazy about the idea of going to a KISS concert. At all. However, I am very excited about sharing the experience with Matt as he fulfills a bucket list item. He has been waiting and waiting for the day he could see KISS live...freak. Anyway, we have tickets in the VIP section for Bayfest on Friday. I'm hoping these tickets will mean we're separated from the craziest fans and feeling quite pleased with our decision to get the Unlicenced VIP tickets!!

Yes, Matt plans to paint his face. I, on the other hand, cannot bring myself to do it. I'm wondering what all the cars from here to Sarnia are going to think when they see the Demon sitting in my car beside me.

I'd better get some good pics to scrapbook!

We Are Family...

So, I'm off to hang with my family this weekend. Yep, leaving the big city and heading East to Trenton and the home of my Mom! My brother and his family (Dave, Nancy, Billy & Charlie) as well as my sister's family (Sandy, Bruce & Luke) are also heading to the big town of Trenton for the weekend so we can all hang together. For the whole weekend. Where the heck will we sleep??!!

On Saturday my step-brother and his lovely wife Amber will be hosting us at their home for dinner. Their wee famiy of two is about to be invaded with 11 more of us...hope they know what they're in for!! There is an airshow in Trenton this weekend so I'm guessing I'm going to have to ooh and aah over some planes. Really I'm just interested in the Snowbirds! I have loved them since I was a kid!! I hope I can get a couple of pics of some dynamite air maneuvers to scrapbook later!!

I am looking forward to connecting and laughing and maybe a game or two of scrabble. I should be working on my words right now!!

Have a great weekend everyone! Hopefully I'll have some pics to post soon!

Family Photos!!

I was very honoured to join Matt and his kids to have some family photos done!! We had a blast and Chris did such a great job shooting our best sides!! Lauren and Alex are so amazingly photogenic...

Feel free to check us out on her blog:

http://clickphotography.ca/blog/

We're under June 29, 2009 (under the belly pics...) and our photos on her blog are titled "The Fam" - just a small sampling of our experience.

You know I can't wait to do some serious scrapbooking with these photos!!

Circle of Life...

So, my status on Facebook says that I've been wondering about the Circle of Life. I've been thinking a lot about my friend Bruce, who is fighting ALS with all he has, but doesn't seem to be winning the battle...and a lovely man I used to work with, and who's family I know so well, passed away on Tuesday with Acute Leukemia. And now on CNN it's all about Michael Jackson dying today and Farrah Fawcett died today too...and it makes me think. As these individuals move on to whatever comes next, are they opening the door for a new life to enter?

Do you know that Harry Chapin song..."All my life's a circle, sunrise and sundown...".

Just feeling kind of reflective. And so totally blessed.

Help Needed!!

Hey my blogging friends....I need some help!

How do I get followers (I do have followers right)?? And how do I show up as someone else's follower?? Seriously...I need a tutorial. Something to spice up my blog and add some zing!!

Anyone?? Usually I don't feel so technologically challenged....

On Holidays....

So, here I am enjoying a week off. Matt & I were supposed to be in Puerto Rico for his work, but the conference got cancelled because of the H1N1 Virus...so here I am at home. I'm totally good with being at home, Puerto Rico would have been work (although work in a lovely location). We went to see my Mom for a day/night and to visit friends of Matt's for a day/night and for the last two days I have been really lazy. Getting very little accomplished and very little desire to get much accomplished. This is pretty strange to me. Usually I make a list and than go crazy trying to cross things off. I'm not sure if I like this new me...although I must admit it's been quite liberating...

I'm blaming it all on the great time I had in Stratford for the Go Scrapping Retreat!! So lucky to sit with such a great group of ladies!! Thanks for a great time!

Now, could someone help me with my motivation...

Scrappy Cart!!

On Sunday I went to Ikea with my friend Tracy and bought myself a wee scrappy cart!! It's so cute and will work AWESOME when I go to Stratford with Go Scrapping!! It was very inexpensive and I really do think I got the deal of the century! I know this picture just doesn't do it justice!

I also think it will come in very handy for moving stuff from my spare/scrap room to the dining room table. Life is good!!

Come on all you scrapbooking friends...don't you wish you had one???

Can you Zut??

It turns out I can Zut...with the best of them!! ha! I was worried I might have "Zutter" Arm today, but you'll be glad to know I'm ok.

I am, however, quite curious to find out what "colour" I am...I'm resisting the "gold", but I don't know why.

The things you learn when you hang with a bunch of clever girls!

Old Friends Resurfaced!!

So in the past couple of days, two old and very dear friends have resurfaced via Facebook. It has been such a blessing to hear from them and catch up a bit. They are both good friends from High School - one who was in my home room and who used to have her locker right next to mine. She always made me smile (seriously, every single day) and it has been so great to connect. The other was my Grade 13 boyfriend. We also were great friends before we dated and maintained our friendship after...but it has been years since I have heard from him.

It is wonderful to hear from those that meant so much in my past...and who I still feel a connection to today.

Life is good!

How many more days until Spring??!!??!!

Seriously....I know I'm Canadian and I should be proud to live where it's cold. Fine. I can take it for a week, maybe a month at the most. It's been almost four months of coldness. I NEED SUNSHINE!!

I'm sure if it got nice and warm and sunny outside this stupid cold would go away.

Hello??!! Bring on the spring!!

I really LOVE the Kitchener Rangers

So, earlier this week the Rangers lost to the London Knights and this loss meant they could no longer make the playoffs. I was so sad because last year we had such an amazing season - OHL Champions and finalists at the Memorial Cup!! And besides that, I thought the team deserved to make it to the playoffs this year. Last night we went to the Ranger game (they were again playing the London Knights) and even though they lost, they fought hard and they riled up John Tavares, which made me very happy!! And besides that I got to see wee Benny play during the 2nd intermission!! Today we went to the game (they were playing the Erie Otters) and they won!! It doesn't make any difference from a playoff perspective, but it was awesome to see them dig in and fight to win for the fans! Today was fan appreciation day and they gave it back to us huge!!

Go Rangers!! I can't wait for the 2009-2010 season!!

Hello??? Remember me???

Ok, so seriously it has been months since I've taken the time to update my blog. I have absolutely no excuses, and I'm very sorry (Mindy). I lead such a blessed life and truly I want to share it, it's just sometimes I'm tired when I get home and I've been on a computer all day at work and I don't want to sit at it for more than ten minutes at home to check my email and maybe facebook....that sort of sounds like an excuse doesn't it....

Anyway, I'm back!!

I will try very hard to be more deligent updating this in the future. I'm honoured that my friends are looking out for me...hopefully you haven't totally given up on me yet....

Happy Wednesday!