For about the last year I have been getting together on a pretty regular basis with my good friends, Karen and Arleen. We probably plan a get together about twice per month. It has been so nice to spend some quality time with these girls. It was more difficult in the past with Karen living in Langham and Arleen living up at Christopher Lake. But now that we are all within a 45 minute drive of each other the get togethers have been plentiful.
Our next planned get together is in a couple of weeks to do a bit of Christmas baking. We are planning to make some sort of rolled and cut cookies and decorate them. It will be nice to spend a day together just baking and hanging out. I have never had good luck with rolled/cut cookies so I hope to pick up some tips so that I could make them again in the future and not feel like pulling out my hair before they even get in the oven!
Showing posts with label Friends. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Friends. Show all posts
Sunday, November 25, 2012
Monday, July 16, 2012
P90X again?
In the last six months or so my good friends, Karen and Arleen have been making an effort to get together for girls night's once or twice each month, which has been really great. Our conversation seemed to often turn to weight loss and getting in shape and being healthier. We talked about doing P90X, and after putting it off for a few months, Arleen and I decided to give it a try. I was going to start the week before holidays, and did 2 or 3 of the workouts then got busy with work and getting ready to go on holidays (or maybe those are just excuses....). While I was on holidays, Arleen started her first week and I texted her each day to see how the workouts were going. I was very lazy and ate WAY too much on holidays, so decided that I need to come home and get down to business!
I am proud to say that I worked out 6 times last week! The only things I sort of slacked on was only doing about 40 minutes of Yoga X (it's 90 minutes long!) and I skipped out on my Friday Ab Ripper because I needed to get supper on the go. I should say on top of all of that I treated 14 clients last week!
This morning I did my Chest and Back and Ab Ripper. I was pleased that the pushups are getting easier. I felt like when I first did Chest and Back after not having done it for months that the pushups almost made it feel like I was straining my pecs in a way that felt almost like an injury. But now it just feels like normal fatigue when I do them. And the next couple of days I am sore, but it is not that 'ow it hurts to take my shirt off over my head' for a week sort of pain. Week 2 and I can already feel myself getting stronger! That is what I love about this program. It doesn't get easier, you just get stronger, then you can do a little more each time.
My goal for this round is to lose some inches of my waist/hips/thighs. I have noticed in the last couple of months that my pants have been getting snugger and I don't like that. I have also noticed my weight creeping up a little bit, which I also don't like. I think it would be cool if I needed to buy some 20lb dumbbells for doing back exercises, and maybe get to the point where I can do bicep curls with the 15lb weights. I am hoping with Arleen to spur me on (and vice versa) that we will kick some butt and get into great shape :)
I am proud to say that I worked out 6 times last week! The only things I sort of slacked on was only doing about 40 minutes of Yoga X (it's 90 minutes long!) and I skipped out on my Friday Ab Ripper because I needed to get supper on the go. I should say on top of all of that I treated 14 clients last week!
This morning I did my Chest and Back and Ab Ripper. I was pleased that the pushups are getting easier. I felt like when I first did Chest and Back after not having done it for months that the pushups almost made it feel like I was straining my pecs in a way that felt almost like an injury. But now it just feels like normal fatigue when I do them. And the next couple of days I am sore, but it is not that 'ow it hurts to take my shirt off over my head' for a week sort of pain. Week 2 and I can already feel myself getting stronger! That is what I love about this program. It doesn't get easier, you just get stronger, then you can do a little more each time.
My goal for this round is to lose some inches of my waist/hips/thighs. I have noticed in the last couple of months that my pants have been getting snugger and I don't like that. I have also noticed my weight creeping up a little bit, which I also don't like. I think it would be cool if I needed to buy some 20lb dumbbells for doing back exercises, and maybe get to the point where I can do bicep curls with the 15lb weights. I am hoping with Arleen to spur me on (and vice versa) that we will kick some butt and get into great shape :)
Saturday, June 23, 2012
Mogathon 2012
In a push to get active again, about six weeks ago, I found myself signing up for the Mogathon again. I have really enjoyed it the last couple of years and decided to sign up along with my friend, Arleen. It was really nice to have someone to run with! We did our best to get together once per week leading up to the event to run together. I definitely felt my endurance increase over the weeks, but I don't know if we ran a single training 5K in less than 35-40 minutes. We would get winded or get cramps, or just feel kind of lazy. We didn't really push ourselves.
Today we ran our 5K in 33:26! We definitely pushed, and the excitement of the crowd around us was enough to keep us going. We only walked through the water stations and one quick walk up a particularly daunting hill at about the 3.5K mark. I am proud of us!
My talented hubby was on hand to cheer us on, and take some quality photos. Here we are at the starting line, feeling fresh. Though I have to say, for some reason when we first started moving and hardly begun running I got a sharp pain in my left hip. Thankfully it eased off as I pushed through it.
Here we are heading for the finish line. It was a very warm day today. It was 15C by 7am, and I am sure that by the time we finished running it was probably close to 20C. The shady spots were so nice, but the last kilometer was tough, as there wasn't much for shade and I was getting tired. A few moments of nausea passed quickly so I was able to finish strong.
The water stations were fun. Especially the 80s aerobics themed one. The teenagers in spandex doing aerobics and cheering us on was worth a smile. I loved the misters they had along the path. I wish there would have been more than 2 of them to run through, but that one at the 3km was very appreciated! I also was happy with the ice water sponges. That was a refreshing treat once I started to heat up.
We are already talking about signing up for another race. The next one I know of is the River Run around the middle of August. I did the 10k in that event a couple of years ago and it was fun. We have talked about signing up for the 5K again, but trying to shave our time down to 30 minutes or under. I think that we could do it, but we will have to kick our training up a notch and do some sprints/hills/etc to get our cardio endurance up.
Today we ran our 5K in 33:26! We definitely pushed, and the excitement of the crowd around us was enough to keep us going. We only walked through the water stations and one quick walk up a particularly daunting hill at about the 3.5K mark. I am proud of us!
My talented hubby was on hand to cheer us on, and take some quality photos. Here we are at the starting line, feeling fresh. Though I have to say, for some reason when we first started moving and hardly begun running I got a sharp pain in my left hip. Thankfully it eased off as I pushed through it.
Here we are heading for the finish line. It was a very warm day today. It was 15C by 7am, and I am sure that by the time we finished running it was probably close to 20C. The shady spots were so nice, but the last kilometer was tough, as there wasn't much for shade and I was getting tired. A few moments of nausea passed quickly so I was able to finish strong.
The water stations were fun. Especially the 80s aerobics themed one. The teenagers in spandex doing aerobics and cheering us on was worth a smile. I loved the misters they had along the path. I wish there would have been more than 2 of them to run through, but that one at the 3km was very appreciated! I also was happy with the ice water sponges. That was a refreshing treat once I started to heat up.
Thursday, March 01, 2012
Stick a Fork in Me!
Haha, or not. But I AM DONE!!!!
It did feel a little bittersweet yesterday when I left my keys and walked away from Pacific Avenue Massage Therapy. I started there at the end of May in 2005. I was a 24 year old newly wed and had been a massage therapist for less than a year. I have now been practicing for almost 8 years, married for just over 7 years and am a ripe old 31 years of age. Yesterday, when Jay asked me how it felt to be done, I got a little teary.
I am really excited to work from home. I am looking forward to the flexibility and the slower pace (I feel like my body could stand to slow down a little, though I hope that I have enough clientele to keep me busy enough). However, I will miss my coworkers. I don't think that everyone is lucky enough to consider the people you work with friends. I have worked with Mieka since November of 2005, Michelle since March of 2009 and Josh since February 2012. It has been so nice to work with people who are professional, take their job seriously and really care about their clients. I would say that maybe it's because we are self employed and if you aren't professional, your business will not prosper. However, I have talked to many therapists over the years and you would be surprised about all the cattiness/gossip/laziness/etc that is prevalent within clinics.
I feel very blessed to have worked with such good people. I will miss them, but I know that we will keep in touch. I look forward to what God has in store for my home business and my life in the years to come.
It did feel a little bittersweet yesterday when I left my keys and walked away from Pacific Avenue Massage Therapy. I started there at the end of May in 2005. I was a 24 year old newly wed and had been a massage therapist for less than a year. I have now been practicing for almost 8 years, married for just over 7 years and am a ripe old 31 years of age. Yesterday, when Jay asked me how it felt to be done, I got a little teary.
I am really excited to work from home. I am looking forward to the flexibility and the slower pace (I feel like my body could stand to slow down a little, though I hope that I have enough clientele to keep me busy enough). However, I will miss my coworkers. I don't think that everyone is lucky enough to consider the people you work with friends. I have worked with Mieka since November of 2005, Michelle since March of 2009 and Josh since February 2012. It has been so nice to work with people who are professional, take their job seriously and really care about their clients. I would say that maybe it's because we are self employed and if you aren't professional, your business will not prosper. However, I have talked to many therapists over the years and you would be surprised about all the cattiness/gossip/laziness/etc that is prevalent within clinics.
I feel very blessed to have worked with such good people. I will miss them, but I know that we will keep in touch. I look forward to what God has in store for my home business and my life in the years to come.
Tuesday, December 27, 2011
Oliver
My heart is feeling so sad as I think of what my best friend and her husband are going through right now. Their little boy, that they love so dearly is fading away. Oliver was diagnosed with Tay-Sachs disease in April of this year, and a just a few months later, this horrible horrible disease is taking his life. It's just hard to believe that nine months ago they didn't even know what was going on in his little body. They knew something wasn't right, but I am not sure anyone could be prepared for what a diagnosis of Tay-Sachs means.
It has been an interesting journey. I have done my best to be there for Karen in the last months when she needed an ear to listen. We have had some really crazy conversations about death and funerals about mourning and grief and about moving on after Oliver is gone. I can't begin to imagine the pain of losing a child and I have a lot of respect for Karen's perseverance in making sure that Oliver is well looked after.
If you are reading this, please say a prayer for Karen, Levi and Aurelia. I want to share a video of Oliver that Karen had posted to YouTube when Oliver was 18 months old. This video makes me smile. His happy giggles just warm my heart, and you can see how much he adores his big sister.
It has been an interesting journey. I have done my best to be there for Karen in the last months when she needed an ear to listen. We have had some really crazy conversations about death and funerals about mourning and grief and about moving on after Oliver is gone. I can't begin to imagine the pain of losing a child and I have a lot of respect for Karen's perseverance in making sure that Oliver is well looked after.
If you are reading this, please say a prayer for Karen, Levi and Aurelia. I want to share a video of Oliver that Karen had posted to YouTube when Oliver was 18 months old. This video makes me smile. His happy giggles just warm my heart, and you can see how much he adores his big sister.
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
Small Group
After taking last year away from being in a small group, we were hopeful to jump back into a group this year. After a couple of hiccups along the way, we got a call from a couple that we had connected with last year and they were looking for people to be in a small group. They were hoping to meet on Wednesday (our preferred evening) and were willing to meet at our house and they were not looking for us to lead the group (which was our preference). It sounded ideal!
We have met for about a month now and I have to say that it feels like a blessing to be connected with people again. Our group has about 10 people and we are the youngest in the group by at least 15 years. It may sound strange, but it has been really interesting to be in a group with people who have a lot more life experience and wisdom to offer. I look forward to spending time getting to know, learning and praying with this small group.
We have met for about a month now and I have to say that it feels like a blessing to be connected with people again. Our group has about 10 people and we are the youngest in the group by at least 15 years. It may sound strange, but it has been really interesting to be in a group with people who have a lot more life experience and wisdom to offer. I look forward to spending time getting to know, learning and praying with this small group.
Saturday, November 05, 2011
Two years old!
Today feels bittersweet. Two years ago today Oliver was born. He came into the world via scheduled c-section and he was perfect. I was excited to get to go to the hospital to meet him. He didn't disappoint, he was absolutely adorable.
I still sometimes feel a bit of disbelief at the disease that is killing him. How can a perfectly healthy little newborn turn into a two year old who can do little more than eat and sleep. My heart broke a little the other day when Karen's status on Facebook said that she misses Oliver's smile. *sigh* Even though this will very likely be his last birthday, I hope that today will be a celebration of Oliver, and will be a day to remember when he is gone.
Friday, August 26, 2011
Heart of Life
This song really resounded with me this week. The line that really stuck out to me was "Bad news never had good timing".
Little Oliver came down with a cold/cough this week. In his weakened state, and with his reduced ability to swallow and deal with extra phlegm, it could be the type of thing that his little body can't fight off. When I got the email from Karen that said "This could be the beginning of the end..." I couldn't help but cry and think not yet. As much as I don't want to see Oliver suffer, and knowing he is going to die sooner than any child should, it is still going to be so tough for his family to lose him. I was so glad to hear that he is doing a lot better today.
Little Oliver came down with a cold/cough this week. In his weakened state, and with his reduced ability to swallow and deal with extra phlegm, it could be the type of thing that his little body can't fight off. When I got the email from Karen that said "This could be the beginning of the end..." I couldn't help but cry and think not yet. As much as I don't want to see Oliver suffer, and knowing he is going to die sooner than any child should, it is still going to be so tough for his family to lose him. I was so glad to hear that he is doing a lot better today.
Thursday, August 25, 2011
As I said in my previous post, my coworker had her baby boy this week. Jesse Ryan was born Tuesday August 23 at about 3:30pm weighing in at 7lb 10oz. I got to meet him today. Where I work, there are only three of us, so I would say we have become pretty good friends over the years. Today, Michelle and I picked up Vietnamese food and went to have lunch with Mieka and her roomate and her daughter. It was good to see her. Even though she looked absolutely exhausted, she still looked good, for having just gone through child birth less than 48 hours ago. I got to meet little Jesse and he is a real sweetheart. He was quite content as long has he had something to suck on and someone was holding him. I just couldn't believe how tiny he is!
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Day Trip
This weekend, we are taking a day trip out to Emma and Christopher lakes to visit some friends and family. I am excited to go! We don't often take day trips....and honestly, I don't know if there is much around here that is worth day trip-ing to see, or maybe I am just uninformed. I was thinking if it is going to be as nice as they are saying that it might be fun to take a bathing suit along, just in case :)
I always get this amazing excited feeling when I turn off the highway to go through Christopher Lake and as I approach the Camp Kadesh sign I get butterflies in my stomach. Just so many great memories and times spent at that place. Hopefully it doesn't pour rain like it did last time we were there. I look forward to visiting with Arleen and Arlen! It will also be fun to visit with Jason's aunt Doreen at Emma Lake. We haven't seen her in ages!
I always get this amazing excited feeling when I turn off the highway to go through Christopher Lake and as I approach the Camp Kadesh sign I get butterflies in my stomach. Just so many great memories and times spent at that place. Hopefully it doesn't pour rain like it did last time we were there. I look forward to visiting with Arleen and Arlen! It will also be fun to visit with Jason's aunt Doreen at Emma Lake. We haven't seen her in ages!
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Life and Death
Since Karen's son, Oliver, was diagnosed with Tay Sach's disease, her and I have had some pretty crazy conversations. Not crazy in a bad way....just crazy in that you should not have to have those conversations about a child. Obviously this is new territory for them, and for me too. I don't think I have ever personally known a baby/child/teenager who has died or had a terminal illness.
I want to support Karen and Levi in any way I can, and right now, I think that is being there to be an ear for Karen. I think our conversations are good for both of us, but sometimes I feel....almost a bit detatched. It's not that I don't care, or don't want to have these discussions, I just think when we are talking about something as serious as illness/death/funerals/etc, if you don't detach yourself a little bit, I think it would be pretty easy to feel overwhelmed with emotion.
I wouldn't wish Tay Sach's disease on any family. It would be so awful to have to watch your child slowly deteriorate until their little body just can't sustain life anymore. I think that Karen is handling it with grace. She takes things as they come. She is trying to educate herself as much as she can, so there hopefully won't be too many surprises. Not to say being prepared in your mind will make it any less difficult when these things actually come to pass. My hope and prayer is that God will continue to give Karen and Levi strength and comfort and that Oliver would remain content and physically healthy for as long as possible.
I want to support Karen and Levi in any way I can, and right now, I think that is being there to be an ear for Karen. I think our conversations are good for both of us, but sometimes I feel....almost a bit detatched. It's not that I don't care, or don't want to have these discussions, I just think when we are talking about something as serious as illness/death/funerals/etc, if you don't detach yourself a little bit, I think it would be pretty easy to feel overwhelmed with emotion.
I wouldn't wish Tay Sach's disease on any family. It would be so awful to have to watch your child slowly deteriorate until their little body just can't sustain life anymore. I think that Karen is handling it with grace. She takes things as they come. She is trying to educate herself as much as she can, so there hopefully won't be too many surprises. Not to say being prepared in your mind will make it any less difficult when these things actually come to pass. My hope and prayer is that God will continue to give Karen and Levi strength and comfort and that Oliver would remain content and physically healthy for as long as possible.
Sunday, May 08, 2011
Happy Mother's Day
I would like to say a Happy Mother's Day to my mom and my mother-in-law! I have been blessed to have these two wonderful ladies in my life to offer love and support.
I have a lot of friends who are now moms. I would like to send some love and encouragement your way today. It has been really neat to watch some of my closest friends transition into the role of mother.
Today I also think of those for whom, Mother's Day is a sad day. Those who have recently (or maybe not so recently) lost a mom, or those who have lost a child, or those who long to be mothers but are unable for whatever reason. I hope that those who are sad today might feel encouraged by those around them.
One of my friends on Facebook posted this quote today and it resonated with me:
I have a lot of friends who are now moms. I would like to send some love and encouragement your way today. It has been really neat to watch some of my closest friends transition into the role of mother.
Today I also think of those for whom, Mother's Day is a sad day. Those who have recently (or maybe not so recently) lost a mom, or those who have lost a child, or those who long to be mothers but are unable for whatever reason. I hope that those who are sad today might feel encouraged by those around them.
One of my friends on Facebook posted this quote today and it resonated with me:
Thursday, April 28, 2011
A tough week...
I have felt extremely overwhelmed this week. It has been a week of ongoing health battles for some, and some really tough diagnoses for some close friends. I have been driven to my knees in prayer more this past week than I can remember in recent times. I am glad that God has held me up during these tough times, but when life gets so overwhelming it seems like the only thing I can do.
Firstly, little Ethan. I wrote a post about him going to California for surgery a few weeks ago. He made it down to the hospital and had his surgery (after a few bumps in the road). He came through surgery well, and the doctors were able to do everything that they needed to do to fix his little heart. It has now been two weeks post-op and it has been a fight to get this far. With the updates that we have receiving via Facebook it really has felt like a one step forward, two steps back recovery. Lisa did say a few days ago that the doctors are still optimistic that he will eventually recover. As for now he is fighting an infection, he is on dialysis because his kidneys are not functioning well, and they are having a hard time keeping his blood pressure stable. They were able to close up his chest though (they kept it open for a few days after surgery to allow for swelling). I cannot begin to imagine how exhausted that family must be. I was so glad to know that Lisa's dad and step-mom were going to be able to be down there with them to help out and give Shaun and Lisa breaks when they need them.
Secondly was a tough diagnosis for a friend. I didn't realize until I chatted with her a couple of weeks ago that she was even having health problems. But last week it was confirmed, Teri was diagnosed with MS. She is married with two young sons (and a step daughter). MS does seem to present differently, and progress differently in different people, so I have been praying that Teri's symptoms will ease off and will not progress too quickly. She is in her early 30s....I can't imagine how tough it must have been for her to learn that diagnosis. Not that something like this was/is preventable, but hearing about terrible diseases really makes me never want to take my health for granted. I want to look after myself and be healthy, because I only have this one body and I don't want to abuse it.
And lastly, about a week ago my friend Karen got a call with a diagnosis for her son Oliver. They had traveled to the Alberta Children's Hospital the previous week to meet with a doctor who specializes in metabolic disorders. They did some blood and urine tests, and after what they expected would be a long wait for a diagnosis, they got one. Oliver has Tay-Sach's Disease. When she told me that, I had definitely heard the name, but could not remember anything about it. It is a rare genetic degenerative neurological condition that will eventually take his life. There is no cure or treatment and even with the best care he will likely only survive until he is 5 years old. If you want to read more about the specifics you can click here.
My heart broke when Karen told me about this. It is hard to imagine that such a horrible disease even exists. Oliver is still doing well and he is an adorable and content little guy. He will be 18 months old in about a week. Karen and Levi are doing surprisingly well. I think that they have had a lot of time to think about what possibly might be wrong, and Karen has tended to lean toward the idea that Oliver would get worse and not better. I don't think anyone could be prepared for a diagnosis like this, but Karen is such a strong woman and an amazing mom. I will do my best to be there for them in the next few years whether it is an ear to listen, a shoulder to cry on, or physical help with kids, house stuff, cooking, etc.
Firstly, little Ethan. I wrote a post about him going to California for surgery a few weeks ago. He made it down to the hospital and had his surgery (after a few bumps in the road). He came through surgery well, and the doctors were able to do everything that they needed to do to fix his little heart. It has now been two weeks post-op and it has been a fight to get this far. With the updates that we have receiving via Facebook it really has felt like a one step forward, two steps back recovery. Lisa did say a few days ago that the doctors are still optimistic that he will eventually recover. As for now he is fighting an infection, he is on dialysis because his kidneys are not functioning well, and they are having a hard time keeping his blood pressure stable. They were able to close up his chest though (they kept it open for a few days after surgery to allow for swelling). I cannot begin to imagine how exhausted that family must be. I was so glad to know that Lisa's dad and step-mom were going to be able to be down there with them to help out and give Shaun and Lisa breaks when they need them.
Secondly was a tough diagnosis for a friend. I didn't realize until I chatted with her a couple of weeks ago that she was even having health problems. But last week it was confirmed, Teri was diagnosed with MS. She is married with two young sons (and a step daughter). MS does seem to present differently, and progress differently in different people, so I have been praying that Teri's symptoms will ease off and will not progress too quickly. She is in her early 30s....I can't imagine how tough it must have been for her to learn that diagnosis. Not that something like this was/is preventable, but hearing about terrible diseases really makes me never want to take my health for granted. I want to look after myself and be healthy, because I only have this one body and I don't want to abuse it.
And lastly, about a week ago my friend Karen got a call with a diagnosis for her son Oliver. They had traveled to the Alberta Children's Hospital the previous week to meet with a doctor who specializes in metabolic disorders. They did some blood and urine tests, and after what they expected would be a long wait for a diagnosis, they got one. Oliver has Tay-Sach's Disease. When she told me that, I had definitely heard the name, but could not remember anything about it. It is a rare genetic degenerative neurological condition that will eventually take his life. There is no cure or treatment and even with the best care he will likely only survive until he is 5 years old. If you want to read more about the specifics you can click here.
My heart broke when Karen told me about this. It is hard to imagine that such a horrible disease even exists. Oliver is still doing well and he is an adorable and content little guy. He will be 18 months old in about a week. Karen and Levi are doing surprisingly well. I think that they have had a lot of time to think about what possibly might be wrong, and Karen has tended to lean toward the idea that Oliver would get worse and not better. I don't think anyone could be prepared for a diagnosis like this, but Karen is such a strong woman and an amazing mom. I will do my best to be there for them in the next few years whether it is an ear to listen, a shoulder to cry on, or physical help with kids, house stuff, cooking, etc.
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Surprise!
A little over a month ago, I started to think about possibly planning a surprise birthday party for Jason, since it's his 30th birthday this year! I thought I would email his friend Stacey in Regina and see if him and Teri could come up for the night as a fun surprise for him. Stacey said they would make it work, so I set out to plan some sort of fun evening for Jason.
Around that time Jason had started voicing ideas about wanting to plan a birthday party this year, for his 30th. I made a decision that I would keep the details of the party as a surprise, but that I would tell Jason that I would like to plan something for him. I settled on taking him out for supper, and having Stacey and Teri meet us at the restaurant to help throw him off the suspicion that there might be more people coming over to surprise him. Then I invited a few friends over to our house while we were out for supper to further surprise him.
I settled on taking him to La Bamba Mexican restaurant for supper as it is a place we have been to once and really enjoyed, and thought it would be a good place to try again. I didn't tell him where we were going, I just gave him directions to drive and I really thought he would figure out where we were going before he did. When we were a couple of blocks from the restaurant he finally figured it out and was very pleased with the choice. When we were seated at the restaurant Stacey and Teri came up and asked if they could join us. I think Jay was pleasantly surprised.
We had a nice supper, that took MUCH less time than I anticipated. When we finished and were leaving the restaurant by 6:45pm, I tried calling Karen at our house and there was no answer. I thought, oh shoot, what do I do? I had told people to arrive at our house around 7pm and to expect us closer to 7:30pm. I had an intense internal debate about whether to just tell Jason that there would be people at our house, and maybe it would be a surprise to see who all showed up. But after some quick thinking I asked Jay if he could stop at Walmart because I needed to pick something up. He agreed so I was able to buy us a bit of time, and get out of earshot so I could try calling our house again. This time Karen was there and I told her to expect us within about 10 minutes. I looked for birthday candles, but couldn't find them, so I bought some ice cream to go with the birthday cake and dawdled as much as I could and finally we were on our way home around 7:15pm.
When we got back to our house, the lights were off and we came in to a dark house just as we left it (however the garaged door was unlocked and the outside lights were on, however Jay said he assumed I had forgotten to lock the garage and had turned on the outside lights, which I do sometimes when I know we will be getting home in the dark). As he came into the kitchen a few of our friends popped out and surprised him. Again, I think he was pleasantly surprised. :)
We spent the evening visiting and eating. I made Jason a rainbow cake. It is something I found while reading my daily dose of recipes on Tastespotting.com. Not only did it taste good, it looked awesome! I will post a picture once Jason touches up the couple that he took. I commented to him today, that maybe because we don't have kids, I made him a fun/kid-like cake for his 30th birthday. Haha, oh well, it was way too cool :)
Around that time Jason had started voicing ideas about wanting to plan a birthday party this year, for his 30th. I made a decision that I would keep the details of the party as a surprise, but that I would tell Jason that I would like to plan something for him. I settled on taking him out for supper, and having Stacey and Teri meet us at the restaurant to help throw him off the suspicion that there might be more people coming over to surprise him. Then I invited a few friends over to our house while we were out for supper to further surprise him.
I settled on taking him to La Bamba Mexican restaurant for supper as it is a place we have been to once and really enjoyed, and thought it would be a good place to try again. I didn't tell him where we were going, I just gave him directions to drive and I really thought he would figure out where we were going before he did. When we were a couple of blocks from the restaurant he finally figured it out and was very pleased with the choice. When we were seated at the restaurant Stacey and Teri came up and asked if they could join us. I think Jay was pleasantly surprised.
We had a nice supper, that took MUCH less time than I anticipated. When we finished and were leaving the restaurant by 6:45pm, I tried calling Karen at our house and there was no answer. I thought, oh shoot, what do I do? I had told people to arrive at our house around 7pm and to expect us closer to 7:30pm. I had an intense internal debate about whether to just tell Jason that there would be people at our house, and maybe it would be a surprise to see who all showed up. But after some quick thinking I asked Jay if he could stop at Walmart because I needed to pick something up. He agreed so I was able to buy us a bit of time, and get out of earshot so I could try calling our house again. This time Karen was there and I told her to expect us within about 10 minutes. I looked for birthday candles, but couldn't find them, so I bought some ice cream to go with the birthday cake and dawdled as much as I could and finally we were on our way home around 7:15pm.
When we got back to our house, the lights were off and we came in to a dark house just as we left it (however the garaged door was unlocked and the outside lights were on, however Jay said he assumed I had forgotten to lock the garage and had turned on the outside lights, which I do sometimes when I know we will be getting home in the dark). As he came into the kitchen a few of our friends popped out and surprised him. Again, I think he was pleasantly surprised. :)
We spent the evening visiting and eating. I made Jason a rainbow cake. It is something I found while reading my daily dose of recipes on Tastespotting.com. Not only did it taste good, it looked awesome! I will post a picture once Jason touches up the couple that he took. I commented to him today, that maybe because we don't have kids, I made him a fun/kid-like cake for his 30th birthday. Haha, oh well, it was way too cool :)
Thursday, November 05, 2009
Exciting news!
I would like to announce the birth of Karen and Levi's baby. They had a baby boy this morning by c-section (scheduled). His name is Oliver Leopold and weighs 7lbs 5oz. He has a full head of reddish, wavy hair.
I just got off the phone with Karen and she is doing very well. I am excited to go up to the hospital tomorrow evening to meet the little guy :)
I just got off the phone with Karen and she is doing very well. I am excited to go up to the hospital tomorrow evening to meet the little guy :)
Monday, August 31, 2009
Small Group
Jay and I have been part of a small group for the last five years. For those who don't come from a church background a small group is just that. A small group (I would say no more than 10 people) who gather together once a week (or possibly more, or less) and get to know each other, pray together, study the Bible and partake in delicious snacks (well maybe a little less delicious without Lyn's snacks, haha).
Over the five years our group has entirely changed. We started out with one group of people, then when we heard some friends were looking for some group members we decided to join that group about three years ago. Since then we have had a few steady group members and seen some others come and go from the group. I think it's just the nature of the small group. Especially a small group of people who are in the age bracket that we are in. There are a lot of people who are starting families or whose work situation is such that they don't always have the same evenings of the week free.
Looks like this year we will be starting nearly from scratch (us and one other couple will stay the same). It's definitely nice when you get comfortable with a group of individuals and can share your hurts and joys with people who will comfort or celebrate with you. Not that 'new' friends won't do that, but there is a certain comfort with people you know. That being said, I am kind of excited/anxious/curious to see who we will find in our small group this year. We have made some great new friends in the last couple of years in our small group and I look forward to making more new friends. I am not exactly sure when we will start up small group for the year, but I am looking forward to it.
Over the five years our group has entirely changed. We started out with one group of people, then when we heard some friends were looking for some group members we decided to join that group about three years ago. Since then we have had a few steady group members and seen some others come and go from the group. I think it's just the nature of the small group. Especially a small group of people who are in the age bracket that we are in. There are a lot of people who are starting families or whose work situation is such that they don't always have the same evenings of the week free.
Looks like this year we will be starting nearly from scratch (us and one other couple will stay the same). It's definitely nice when you get comfortable with a group of individuals and can share your hurts and joys with people who will comfort or celebrate with you. Not that 'new' friends won't do that, but there is a certain comfort with people you know. That being said, I am kind of excited/anxious/curious to see who we will find in our small group this year. We have made some great new friends in the last couple of years in our small group and I look forward to making more new friends. I am not exactly sure when we will start up small group for the year, but I am looking forward to it.
Friday, April 03, 2009
Arleen's Wedding
Jay took this picture of me over his shoulder without looking. Not bad, I say!
Ceremony
The girls.
Nice picture of Karen and I.
The only picture of Jay from the day. I guess that's what happens when you are a photographer, you are never in pictures yourself. Which I think suits Jay just fine!It was a lovely day. I can't wait to see their professional pictures!
Friday, March 13, 2009
Wedding time!
Tomorrow is Arleen's wedding. I am looking forward to it, even though it has been hard to with all the other stuff going on right now. We dropped Kiwi off last night at my mom and dad's house where she will be spoiled rotten while Jay and I are off at the wedding.
I have known Arleen since grade three. That is approximately 20 years. When you are only 28 that is a long friendship. I was talking with a co-worker the other day about different friendships. She mentioned a friend of hers who was high maintenance, who she had to call at least once a week or so, or the friend would start to think they weren't friends anymore. I would say Arleen is a low maintenance friend. She has been there all these years, even when she was away at Bible college for four years and when she was gone to Taiwan for a little over a year. We can still get together and talk and talk and talk like it hasn't been that long since we last visited. I am blessed to have such good friends in my life.
I wish Arleen and Arlen all the best as they start their lives as a married couple. If you would have asked me in high school, who would be married first, Karen, Arleen or myself, I definitely would have voted for Arleen. But she is the last to get married....and that is just fine. She has experienced a lot of things in her life and is quite the adventurer. I am glad she is marrying someone who is just as adventurous as her :)
I have known Arleen since grade three. That is approximately 20 years. When you are only 28 that is a long friendship. I was talking with a co-worker the other day about different friendships. She mentioned a friend of hers who was high maintenance, who she had to call at least once a week or so, or the friend would start to think they weren't friends anymore. I would say Arleen is a low maintenance friend. She has been there all these years, even when she was away at Bible college for four years and when she was gone to Taiwan for a little over a year. We can still get together and talk and talk and talk like it hasn't been that long since we last visited. I am blessed to have such good friends in my life.
I wish Arleen and Arlen all the best as they start their lives as a married couple. If you would have asked me in high school, who would be married first, Karen, Arleen or myself, I definitely would have voted for Arleen. But she is the last to get married....and that is just fine. She has experienced a lot of things in her life and is quite the adventurer. I am glad she is marrying someone who is just as adventurous as her :)
Sunday, January 11, 2009
I have felt rather uninspired to write anything too profound or interesting lately. Sorry, just in a slump. I noticed however that my blog is almost five years old! January 13, 2004 was my very first post and since then I have just over 700 posts!
I ordered myself a Wii Fit from Costco.ca and according to the UPS tracking service it should arrive here on Tuesday. I am very much looking forward to using it. I feel like I put on a few pounds during the Christmas season, so hopefully this will help drop a few. I also bought my first Wii game last week, Lego Indiana Jones. It is a fun game that involves a lot of thinking and not just running around killing things.
My good friend Arleen finally set a wedding date! March 14th, so just over two months from now :) I am pretty excited for that. It's been a while since I have been to the wedding of a close friend. I think it'll be a nice weekend away for Jay and I. It'll be lots of fun to hang out with Karen and Arleen the day before too :)
I ordered myself a Wii Fit from Costco.ca and according to the UPS tracking service it should arrive here on Tuesday. I am very much looking forward to using it. I feel like I put on a few pounds during the Christmas season, so hopefully this will help drop a few. I also bought my first Wii game last week, Lego Indiana Jones. It is a fun game that involves a lot of thinking and not just running around killing things.
My good friend Arleen finally set a wedding date! March 14th, so just over two months from now :) I am pretty excited for that. It's been a while since I have been to the wedding of a close friend. I think it'll be a nice weekend away for Jay and I. It'll be lots of fun to hang out with Karen and Arleen the day before too :)
Sunday, August 24, 2008
The Three Muskateers: The Next Generation
I hosted a baby shower for Karen and little Aurelia today. It was a good time of visiting and eating good food. It's been a while since I got a chance to visit with both Karen and Arleen. I believe it was in May when Karen was VERY pregnant and Arleen had just gotten engaged. I am thankful for these two long lasting friendships. I know Arleen's mom has often called us the three musketeers, and now there is a little musketeer to add to the group. Little Aurelia is such a little doll. (I would also like to point out how tanned I look in this picture. I know I am standing next to Karen, and most people look tanned compared to her...haha...but I look quite dark, for me!)