January 9, 2006 - 8:02 p.m.

Happy New Year!

Okay, I know, I have no excuses for it being nearly a month since I updated. Well, I have been busy of course, but I should have been able to find some time, sometime. Anyway, I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and holiday season, and are enjoying 2006, from the little we've seen of it so far.

Since I last wrote...well. Let me start with the big things, and then I'll do a bit more detail. First of all - I'm moving. Yes, I know, I'm going to London in 8 months. So why move now? It's all Todd's fault, pretty much. :-) He had to move out of his current place at the end of February, and was going to get an apartment not too far from where he is now. So we talked about it, and decided that when he moves, I'll move in with him until I leave for England.

It's a pretty big step, for us to move in together, but I really think we're ready for it. We spend so much time together already, I hardly think it's going to be much different! We've found a really nice 2-bedroom apartment in Mississauga (nearly twice the size of my current apartment!), and are hopefully moving in the last weekend of February. It's going to save us both money, plus we'll just get to spend even more time together! I think that's a good thing, right?

The trip home for Christmas was wonderful. Todd and I flew to Edmonton on the 23rd, and my sister, brother-in-law and nephew came to pick me up at the airport. Caleb was a little unsure of me at first (well, for the first few days, actually), but eventually he warmed up to me, and would even grin at me when I came into the room. I wish I could make someone feel that good just by smiling at them! He is absolutely adorable.

For Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, it was the immediate family at the house, plus my grandmother, Lee's girlfriend and Aubrey's boyfriend. So we were 11 people at the table (counting the baby, who was more off to the side). Our Christmas Eve fondue was great (SO much food!), and Christmas itself was a lot of fun. There were some wonderful gifts, my favourite of which was one that my older brother gave all of us. He had all our old home movies transferred to DVD, and he and my sister edited them all and set them to music. It's a wonderful thing to have.

After a trip to Saskatoon and more visiting at home, on the 29th I went to pick up Todd in Edmonton. We had lunch with his dad in the city, then drove back to Provost, where he got to meet the family. The next day we did a walking tour of the town (too exciting!), went bowling with my mom and went out for lunch and supper. On the 31st, we headed back to Edmonton, stopping along the way so Todd could meet my grandfather. Me and my mom both went to his parent's house for dinner, and then after mom left, we all went to Todd's aunt's house for New Year's Eve, where we played board games, and I came home $6 richer. :-) There was more visiting with my family before we flew back on the 2nd. So it was quite a busy 10 days, but very, very enjoyable as well.

I managed to get sick (thanks Mom!) just before we left, so I had a bad cold all of last week - missed the second day of work of the year. What a great start! Other than that, things have been fairly quiet here so far, other than thinking about and planning for the move.

Before we went home, though, Todd and I did two things I had wanted to do here in the city. First, we went to the Catherine the Great exhibit at the Art Gallery of Ontario. It was pretty good, but after actually going to the Hermitage, I couldn't be very impressed. :-) We also, however, went to the Victorian Christmas version of the Black Creek Pioneer Village, and that was a lot of fun! It was a beautiful winter's day, and we went all through the town and talked to all the people in the houses and learned lots about Christmas in Ontario in the 1860s.

So that's been my month, more or less! Here are just a couple of pictures from home - one of me and Mom and my sisters in our matching pajamas on Christmas morning, and one of me and Caleb with one of his presents from me. More will be coming!

All the best to all of you in 2006!!

Stylish!

Caleb and Auntie Stacy

December 14, 2005 - 12:43 p.m.

Okay - I realize it's been forever and a day since I last updated. Sorry! It's been the usual pre-Christmas rush, so a happy, but busy time for me.

Here's a quick run-down on what's been going on.

After I last wrote, I had a really nice lunch with Karen and Gill at the Mandarin, and then dinner with Brenda, Jenn and Todd at Eggspectation downtown before we all headed to see Movin' Out. I have to admit being a bit disappointed with the show - I guess I just thought there would be a slightly more coherent storyline. The dancing was fabulous though.

Peggy, Jenn and I had a fun girls' night out on that Friday, and then Todd and I went to Costco to buy a Christmas tree! I had tried my best to talk him into a real one, but he wouldn't budge. So it's fake, but it's okay.

The next week was a work-related party, and then our company "holiday party" on the weekend. I must call it a holiday party, because there was hardly anything Christmasy about it at all! The tables were done up in a Mardi Gras theme!! Todd won the centerpiece for me, and it's one of the most hideous things I've ever seen. :-) Also that weekend, I made my gingerbread houses, and went to an amateur production of Into the Woods, since Sarah at work was playing in the orchestra. It was very well done!

Last week was Karen and Susan's last week at work, so we had a lunch out for them. Work has been busy ever since, as expected! On Friday, Todd and I went to see Narnia, which was very good! Not quite Lord of the Rings calibre, but enjoyable nonetheless. On Saturday, we went to downtown Oakville and went shopping along the main street, which was really nice. It was a lovely winter's day, and there are lots of unique shops, and there were carollers and wagon rides with Santa, and we had lunch in a cozy pub with a warm fire. Then Sunday was the Christmas concert at Todd's church, where he performed in the choir and did his dramatic solo - "You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch". It was great. :-)

Since Todd's finished classes now, we are just mostly hanging out for the rest of the time until we go home next Friday. We exchanged our gifts on Friday night (he wanted to give me mine early), and I love everything he got me! We did stockings as well, so mine was full of candy, and a Garfield book, and cranberry juice. :-) And then my main present was a beautiful teddy bear (whom I have named Percival Brown - or Percy for short) who was holding my main gift - an iPod Nano! It's awesome!! I've just started playing with it - 135 Christmas songs so far. :-)

I got some film developed earlier this week too, so I will share with you the photos to go with some of these events, and some previous events too.

Only 11 days until Christmas!!!