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A New Year...A New Me!

A New Year...A New Me!

Summer

Well it is mid summer now...been a while since I have blogged. Life gets so busy in spring with prepping the gardens, planting seeds and seedlings, and sitting back to watch them grow. My veggie garden is doing wonderful this year thanks to the perfect summer conditions we have! Going through a heat wave this week breaking records since the 1800's. Today is the hottest of them all so far.
We had a wicked thunder storm ... first one ever in the lower mainland that was so extreme! It was awesome...I love thunder storms!
I have my pickling done... did cukes, beans, and strawberry rhubarb jam...yummo! Now I'm waiting for my garden to finish its thing and see what i can get out of that for canning or freezing.

Hope ya'll enjoy the rest of the summer...I shall return!

LET IT SNOW!

well we have recieved much more than this... i believe this was taken Dec 21. we had a ton of snow this year and it was still snowing today... its sad that it is turning to rain by tomorrow :o( good old wet vancouver!

It's almost time to think about gardening! lol

I hope you all had a good Christmas!

~HAPPY NEW YEAR~

Merry Christmas!

Tis the season to be jolly!

Where did this year go? Where did November go? As of today there are 17 days left to Christmas!

I have my cards done, just have to mail them off! lol We are getting the tree this week or next weekend sometime. I have most of the shopping done, just have a couple of gifts to finish up and I'm done! For both sets of my parents Joleen & I have decided to donate $50.00 each on their behalf to the Food Bank in thier community (which would be Kamloops & Comox Valley)

Here is a little update on the family.... Scott is working long hours and most weekends right now, busy time of year cleaning greenhouses for the farms in the lower mainland. He gets out to do the truck occasionally, but enjoys his Sunday football too much..lol. ** I on the other hand am going stir crazzy with being laid off on EI. I can honestly say, if I didn't have bills to pay and didn't need my own income, I would rather enjoy staying home to clean and bake etc... lol but I have to work! I'm hoping the new year will bring me more success at finding the perfect job. But for now, I enjoy Xara's company, as I am sure she loves having someone home all day too. She gets her walks and car rides everywhere lol.

Brandi is working her but off at Telus Mobility up in Prince George and enjoying it. She will be 19 on the 13th! Time flies too fast! We will hopefully see her in January when she can get some time off work and visit. We are looking forward to it as we haven't seen her since June. ** Noelle is in Grade 10 and enjoying it. She had a boyfriend for a couple of days then decided she wasnt into it. She keeps busy with her homework and hanging with her girlfriends. ** Dawson is in grade 9, has a paper route for the last year. He does not enjoy it and really wants to look for work somewhere else, but I don't feel he can handle it quite yet. He needs to perfect his current job and not complain about it. He also needs to "pick up his socks" with a couple of courses, but other than that a mom couldn't ask for a such a pleasant and kind kid! **Jordan is in grade 8, he also has a paper route he started in September. he enjoys doing it as I havent heard any complaints on his part....lol. He is in Karate and is now a Green belt! he will be doing his first tournament of the year in February. Schooling is good and his grades are good. **Xara, our lovely big puppy, is now a year old! She is something else, and is just like one of the kids. She definately has her own style and loves us to death! She is very obedient, some things need to be worked on, but that will come with time as she gets older and out of the puppy stage. Two more years? lol I can't wait to see what she thinks of the Christmas tree in the house, as last year she was only a couple months and couldnt care less...lol

Well thats my little family update.... We wish you all a Merry Christmas!

Madonna POPS Vancouver

WHAT EXCITEMENT! We had an awesome night at the Madonna concert! It was better than I even imagined. Our seats were perfect! Couldn't have asked for anything better except front row...but where we were was just as good. Of course I wouldn't have had as much fun without my bestest of friends!

Girls Weekend in Van

Teena, Joyce & Becky came down for the weekend. What an exciting time! Muchly needed for a change of pace.

Friday night we went to The Mission Springs. Well it was too young for us ... I mean the crowd was under 25... ya that's it! Talk about feeling like a cougar! UGH! So we cabbed it up to 14th Ave Pub...usually I drive by and it looks busy..but it was dead! We went in for a drink anyways...I told them Mission was as exciting as Logan Lake anyways lol. We ended up walking back to my place, then driving down to ROCKO'S DINER...and had a midnite snack of poutine...mmmmmm...

Saturday we finally made it out of the house by 11am after getting all glammed up for Vancouver shopping. First stop...IKEA ... I think in total it was under $100 bucks for the 4 of us... amazing! lol. We made it down to Van, safe and sound and didnt get lost! (Thanks to Wendy lol) We parked and walked down the streets, and up and down Robson where all the fine shopping is. Becky was the only one that walked away with a bag..haha! Teena & I were on a separate mission of finding and outfilt for Madonna, so we were just a tad picky on what we bought lol. We also ran into Crystal & Mike downtown...chatted for a few then went our separate ways. Next time she has to come for a girls weekend.

We decided to dine out at Red Robin... mmm-mmm-mmm ... AWESOME EATS! and good beer lol. We started back home abut 8pm and ended up at Wendy & Lonnys.. cuz I think I was lost, but I don't think I was....lol too many lights in the city haha.. thats my excuse anyways. Wendy & her old man came back to Mission for some drinks at my place...good times.

The girls left mid morning :o( always sad to see them go... one more day would have been good.

RIP Greg Wolovetz

Greg Wolovetz

Jan 1971-Aug 2008

Greg was an honest and caring person and would do most anything for anyone. My earliest memories of Greg that I can recall are he was very much into weight lifting and did a lot of competitions. He was good at what he did. Throughout the school years you could hear him praising(really heckling) the pretty girls to grab his attention...lol. He thought he was gods gift of women...lol. I moved away and came back to Logan Lake with my little family and we connected again. Greg had a beautiful daughter, Haley. We enjoyed dinners with his family. Greg opened up Aardvark's Pizza in Logan and employed me until I moved. We had fun times goofing off making the dough and prepping the toppings. Every time I cut up a bell pepper I always think of Greg, he showed me the best way to cut it to remove the seeds all at once. He loved to listen to The Champ (rock 101) while at work...it was like the sacred moment of silence. Hearing him chuckle his infectious laugh when he told a good joke.

Greg will be truelly missed by many people whos lives he touched with his gentleness. He is walking amongst the angels now.

Rest in Peace Greg, my friend, i will try not to shed tears of sorrow but tears of happy memories. God Bless.

MADONNA graces Vancouver with her presence!

Sticky & Sweet Tour

I am on a great high right now (not drug induced)...

Madonna is coming to Van October 30th, and I was able to get 6 tickets online this morning for me and my bestest girls!

We are all stoked to go and enjoy our seats near the stage!

Is it October Yet?

Mother Nature on Crack!

Well... I can't tell you how shocked I am with this weather. It's April and we were dumped with snow! Last week we enjoyed a hot 25 C in Mission. This week feels like fall. It was sunny today but it was still very chilly with the wind. I was working in the yard anyways because I couldnt sit another Saturday in my chair watching movies. Noelle and I put a stone pathway in the front yard from the road to the sidewalk. she did all the heavy work for me which was nice. just a few more touch ups to the front yard like edging and waiting for my order of Heather that Scott got for me through his work. Can never have enough plants! lol Tomorrow I will try to conquer the back yard...what is left of it. :oS

Girls Night Out

Teena & Tracey came down for the weekend. Teena put on a Mary Kay show at my house and we had fun beautifying ourselves lol. Tracey was a surprise when she showed up at my door. I was speachless! Nice surprise :)

We all went to see Cheap Trick at the River Rock Casino that night. The concert was good..I think we only knew of about 5 songs that they played.. lol oh well.. they sang "the flame" my favorite song.

We went for a late dinner after at the Casino; (the navigation system got us lost so we had no time to eat before the concert). the dinner theatre was great...watching a young couple making out in the pool and ended up making fun of the poor guy..haha.. he wasnt able to finish his fun.

After dinner we decided to play some slots.. cha-ching...or should i say give some money to the machine and walk away. lol. out of three of us, no one came out a penny more. It was a great night, and nice to get out with good friends.

Brand Spankin New!

I finally did it! I put myself into a brand new vehicle! It feels great and sure does boost the ego (just a little) lol. I deserve it after working hard and getting over a big slump the last few months. So I brought home my new Sheeba II, an '08 Jeep Patriot.

I guess it's true what they say: "Once you go Jeep...you stay with a Jeep" I love my Jeep...lol

Where is Spring?

UNBELIEVABLE WEATHER!

I don't know where spring is

It doesn't want to show her sunny grace

Winter is outstaying her welcome

I need to tend to my garden space

This morning we were graced with snow, rain, wind...then the sun came out but didn't warm us up. The weather sure hasn't been nice the past few months. Time for spring!

Decisions to make...

ANGUS - 7 months old. Had to go to doggie heaven today. He was a good pup, very lovable and obedient. Quiet and full of energy. Loved car rides and walks in the park to see and play with the other dogs.

Today was the day he broke his families trust. I have only seen aggression out of Angus a couple of times and that was with me when he was chewing on a bone or having a special treat. He just didnt want to share those things. Typical dog behaviour. He tried to be dominant with the boys by taking the hem of their shirts, and jumping on them when excited, but we were working on that and other training things for puppies. He was just a pup and needed to learn the rules as do all dogs.

Into the garbage for the second time today (closed lid on the can) I already dealt with him the first time, and stepped out for a bit to the store. Noelle called me and said Angus lunged at her while he was in the garbage and she was trying to get it away from him. He was used to Noelle directing him, but like his bones and special treats the garbage was just too good to let her take it away from him. He broke the skin on her neck, didn't puncture it, but left her with some doozy marks.

We decided at that moment we had to put him down. It wasn't an easy decision, but the right one. This is the decision where an owner of a dog needs to make no matter how good behaviour the dog has. Once they bite they need to be put down. No matter what the age. He did it out of aggression, and that is a behaviour you cannot change with no matter how much training you do.

We picked the bullmastiff breed because of their loyalty and they are a family dog. they might be big and intimidating to some but they are the gentle giants of the dog world. Angus had alot of the gentleness and was very docile. He unfortunatley had that little bit of aggression deep down that alot of dogs, no matter what breed, have. My vet was very shocked too as he had gotten to know Angus over the months with his vet check ups and thought he was an awesome dog.

Noelle is doing fine, she is more worried about her vanity at the moment. She doesn't feel it is her fault he had to go down, and that is good because it isn't.

I hope Angus is having fun in doggy heaven and knows how much he was loved. I was with him when he went to sleep. My big boy is already missed dearly.

Almost Spring!

I am eager to see the blooms again! I have been able to enjoy a couple of nice sunny weekends. I have my spring bulbs poking through the ground as well as a little bloom from the early bulbs. I have so many plans to put in motion!

We enjoy taking the dogs to the park on weekends. It's a long stroll and good exersize. I can't wait until we get a few more hours of daylight so I can continue with the walks in the evenings, or even the mornings. The dogs are getting so big! They also enjoy spending time outdoors when the weather is nice. I do have to teach them to stay out of the flower beds. Xara seems to like plants and tackling my planters.

I have started recovering from my "fender bender". It's been slow, but I am working on getting better each week.

Scott has been working on the 66 chevy quite a bit lately. He (& I) are excited its starting to come together. He got a rebuilt engine for a great price and it didnt take him more than 2 weekends to put it all together. It looks awesome and would look even nicer when it is actually in the truck and can go "VROOM VROOM" haha! Maybe next year it can be in the big fathers day car show at Heritage Park.

Thanks for stoppin in!

Shan

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!

WOW another year has gone by. So much has happened I don't know where to start.

The kids are all doing well and are healthy. Noelle is doing well. Grade 9 and doing very well with grades and staying out of trouble. Dawson is finding grade 8 to be a great experience. Joined the wrestling team and ended up with a broken colarbone his last match.. he got 5th place in that tournament. Jordan is in his last year of elementary Grade 7. He has joined Karate and really enjoys it.

Scott is still working hard with the same company. He has done well this year as they have been super busy..too busy for even rain to stop them. he finally has all the parts he needs for our '66 chevy, maybe he will actually start working on it now that he has the shop covered and heated.. lol.

I started a new job in September...It was a great move! a company called IRI Separation Technologies Inc. I just do accounts payable and work 8 hours a day only.. so its awesome! Someone recently rearended my Jeep. I was not impressed. the damage didnt seem so bad.. needed a new tailgate and bumper. Then the body shop took it apart and found even more damage. Not sure how much more would have happened if my spare tire(which lays under the floor) hadnt stopped the impact. My back is very sore... after two weeks, so its not just a case of whiplash. I dont have time for this nonsense but im told to do something about it so i guess i will. Better luck next year, eh?

We welcomed two new family members into our home. Angus & Xara. Angus is a Bullmastiff and Xara is a PresaCanario (same as bullmastiff only spanish). they are cute but a handlful at times. When one does something the other has to follow. Angus is usually good and will tell on Xara if she does something bad. they will grow to be great dogs!

I hope this finds all my friends and family in good health and sending my best wishes for a safe and happy holiday season!

Love,

Shan

HARVEST

It's time for harvesting the crops.. As I drive to work I see the farmers out in the fields. The lush rows of green corn stalks are now little brown sticks in the ground. All the leaves on the back roads are beautifully turning colour and starting to fall.

I have started to harvest my veggies. Carrots, beets, cukes, squash, turnips. Now to find the time and can them and make yummy soups.

The days are definately getting shorter and I feel I will see no sunshine for a few months while working inside. Dark to work and dark on the way home. Can't wait for the snow to fall! Yes I said it.. SNOW! lol.

Happy Thanks Giving!

Want to wish my friends and family a Happy Thanks Giving! May your Turkeys be as yummy as mine was... lol

I missed posting in the summer. It came and went in a hurry, if we even had much of a summer weather wise! We took a vacation to SanFrancisco with the kids driving down the Oregon Coast... so beautiful! Went to Six Flags in Vallejo CA, then to San Francisco. It was a great trip as we did lots of shopping too!

I also changed jobs. No longer with Pioneer Chrysler, time to move on. After only 3 job interviews I landed a great job with a biotech company still doing accounts payable. A more relaxing job, my own office, phone only rings a couple of times a day.. and more pay! Its only a 20 minute commute on a country road so I dont hit traffic.. its soooooooooo nice!

Well hopefully I can get to more updates.. I have pics of Noelle and Dawson from their ID cards...

Spring is still Giving

Spring is still giving with the birth of twins. My step-sister Tanya and husband Tulley had twin baby girls Friday June 15. They are so adorable.

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Happy fathers Day to all the deserving dads out there.. you know who you are ;o)

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This weekend was a wet one so nothing got done in the yard...apparently the sun will be out tomorrow. Usually works that way, rain on the weekend and sun while you work... hmmm maybe I should get a weekend job lol.

Finishing up Spring

Here is the new addition to joleens family...Cole Emmet. He is a cutie!

Spring is coming to an end and the summer planning has begun. Of course the majority of it will be at work, but we will make the best of what we can.

We have decided to take a road trip with the kids to California down to San Fransisco at the end of July. The kids want to go to Six Flags in Vallejo. I personally would like to see Loonie Tunes more than Disney characters myself so I'm with that. It is going to be a beautiful ride down along the Oregon Coast with the scenery. Scott already has alot of places mapped out to stop in and camp and visit. And the shopping in Oregon with no tax! woooohooooo! lol So all I have to do is prep everything to go and check out the places we are visiting to see if there is any great deals or touristy stuff.

I can't wait to share all the pictures!