2011 is coming

Well as this current year comes to a close I contemplate the past year.
I am thankful for a great husband and daughter.
I am grateful for my health.
I am happy for work to have kept me busy and welcome the challenge of the new tasks it brang.
I am lucky to have great friends and family who love me.

Looking back, I have had a fantastic year.
I only had a little bit of a relapse in January, I was lucky to be able to spent my entire summer outside. I planted many flowers and enjoyed watching them grow. I helped build Gracie's fort.
I was lucky enough to have great friends to spend almost every weekend in the entire year.

I may not have the best house or the most money but I am quite happy.

Can you truly ask for more?

I hope that 2011 brings us all hope and happy times. I Do not wish bad thing to anyone however the bad helps us realise how special the good times really are. So they are welcome too.

Happy new years eve to all and all the best for the new year.

Wish...granted!

I hope your Christmas day was spent doing exactly what you like doing.
I hope there was joy, laughter, sharing, friends, family and food!

What a great day it was!

As you know we have been busy little bees doing what we love to do this past December. Sure at times we get tired, frustrated, run down and overwhelmed but Christmas day makes it worth every minute!

Here is how our Christmas has gone...

First we spent our evening last night "not avoiding" family but being with "our" little family!
We picked Grace up at 8 or so and she was just as pooped as we were! In the car she wanted to see the lights so we drove around looking at the great light displays so many people put together. Last month is was our "dream" to start small and get bigger and better next year. We didn't have the budget to go big or go home this year! When we got home we realised someone (or 2) stole the few light displays we had set out. I was heart broken. We all were. Gracie likes to touch our lights and was looking forward to it since we had seen so many lights.
Can you say Scrooge was in our neighbourhood?

So we told her we would celebrate Christmas in the house...
She bit, we had a tub, ate chicken, "Daw Daw" (this means drawing in our house!) and then opened gifts! Then it was bed! Ah...bed!

This morning we got up super early, got ready and went to Mark's parents. They made breakfast and we had our Christmas there before heading to the DI. What fun to see Grace playing with gifts! I love to give but am not very comfortable receiving so it was great to see all the faces!

The DI..What a fantastic day!
We got there, set everything in motion and let the day happen. Mark and I worked so hard these past few weeks for this perfect day and it was just that.
Like every year we had the best volunteers EVER!
They are dedicated, happy, helpful and smiling.
They help make the Christmas what is should be for our homeless friends. "Warm and Fuzzy"

The morning volunteers had so much fun and didn't want to leave. The afternoon volunteers came and were very happy to take over. The Morning's trained the Afternooner's and we were able to visit with the volunteers, trouble shoot and make sure all the volunteers were happy. We didn't do much work and that is a good thing. All the volunteers come in wanting to be helpful and they were fantastic!

Thank you for being there, believing not only in Santa's workshop but in our Wishlist program.

I am now headed to bed to rest up for the last day of our Christmas Craziness!

Merry Christmas and to all a great night!
...
And a very happy birthday to my Mom and my best gal Chantale too!

Pumpkins in December?

"look Mommy...Pumpkin!"
"Where Gracie?"
"Right there mommy" ...she points...
"Where?...the Snowman?"
"Yeah! the pumpkin!"

Welcome to a minute conversation with Grace!
So the next time you are talking with me and I am just not getting it...It's probably because I have brain washed to have a completely diffrent vocabulary!

I have been working like a mad woman this month. I love it but I am ready to celebrate with the DI clients and then veg at home!
Along side by side to Mark we have been working double time this past month to make sure the Clients at the DI get a Christmas worth celebrating. Our hearts are at the DI on a regular day but this time or year it just seems more important.

For my tidbit this week of writting I want us all to think of the important things we don't stop and take time for during the hustle and bustle of the holidays.

Grace has been at the DI with us morning noon and night. He have been noticing that she has been far more needy lately. I finally this past weekend... "I miss you mommy..." Break my heart.

Last night Mark and I took a break from work. We got home for 5, delivered gifts to our great neighbours, ordered a pizza, rented a Christmas movie and snuggled on the couch.

This was exactly what Gracie wanted. Time.

Did you remember to take Time lately?
Time to say Hi, or ask how a day is going, offer a pat on a back for work well done?

Thy it...it's far more rewarding then anything else you will do this busy time of year...I promise!