Happy Birthday Mama

Today is my mom's birthday. Even though she is not here to celebrate with us anymore I will still mark this day as a celebration of her life. I think because she endured so much during her life, she always looked forward to happy occassions and any reason to have a celebration. So today I will go to the cemetary, bring her flowers and remember the wonderful mother, grandmother, sister, aunt,daughter and friend that she was.

Shawn took this picture of my mom when we went on a family cruise a couple of years ago. This stop was in St. Thomas. I love this picture because of the sheer joy and happiness that's glowing on her face. I am going to take this picture and put it on a tshirt when I do the Ride for Heart, this way she will be with me.

Te quiero mucho mama, feliz cumpleanos.

For Tracey

I was going through my favourite blogs this morning and I saw on Tracey's that her mother has lost her battle with cancer.

Having recently lost my own mom, I know what she is going through, the feeling of despair, hopelessness, anger and grief. I also know there is nothing that I can do or say to take her pain away.

Just know Tracey, if you read this, that I'm here for you and I'm thinking of you. Please feel free to get in touch if you need anything.

If you get a chance, stop by her blog and leave a word of comfort. I know it was a great source of strength for me.

Debris on the road

Yesterday was a really baaaaad day. I was in such a foul mood it was all I could do to not go postal on anyone who crossed me. One dumb thing after another, then thinking about the long wait we have ahead of us, other things that aren't going well, it was all I could do to hold it together. I really do try to be positive but yesterday it was just not happening.

Then to top it all off, we were driving home last night (Shawn went to see the Leafs actually win a game and I was at Shelley's place) and we were on a darker part of the highway. All of a sudden I saw a piece of truck tire on the road and guess what? Yup, we ran over it. We heard something dragging underneath but there was no where to stop and check what it was. We finally got off at our exit and stopped at a gas station. The thing that was protecting the underneath part of the engine had come loose and was dragging. Shawn took it into the dealership this morning and $400 later the car is fixed. The worst part is we can't even complain to anyone since we didn't see which truck the stupid piece of tire fell off from.

Perfect way to end the perfect day.

Weekend recap

This weekend we had the pleasure of enjoying Nicole and Tim's company. We originally planned to meet in Niagara Falls for dinner but then Nicole found out that Shaw Blades was going to be in town, so off we went across the border.

Poor Nicole was not feeling well, but she was a trooper and put up with us, taking us here and there. We had a lovely dinner at the Cheesecake Factory, my first time there and was it yummy! I've never seen such huge portions in my life. I had the Dulce de Leche cheesecake for dessert. I think that's what heaven must be like *sigh*. We then made our to the concert. After a false start, cursing the GPS and dealing with a few mixed up numbers we finally made it there and it was standing room only. The guys were really good. Three guys on acoustic guitars only and a couple of microphones. The venue was small and intimate, it was really cool.

After lunch on Sunday we left a sick Nicole to go heal and a healthy Tim to take care of her. We made it home safe and sound. Nicole, I hope you're feeling better soon. Thanks for a great weekend!

Thank you Secret Buddy

When we got home today there was a note from our postal worker letting us know we had a package at the post office to pick up. Both Shawn and I were scratching our heads wondering what it could be because neither one of us had ordered anything recently. So off went Shawn to the post office to pick it up. Wouldn't you know it, our secret buddy did not only send our March gift AND April as well, she also sent a very special gift for me.

I was very surprised to see something addressed specifically for me. When I opened the envelope there was a beautiful sympathy card with a lovely note from SB. She let me know that she had read my blog and learned that I had recently lost my mom and let me know about her experiences and loses. It was very touching and comforting. The package contained a memorial plaque that I now have next to my mom's picture in my family room. On the plaque is a rose, SB if you're reading this, the rose was my mom's favourite flower. Of course being the emotional basket case that I am I started crying when I realized what everything was. I am so touched that you thought of me and have honoured my mom's memory this way. I can't wait til we meet so I can thank you properly.

Mom and the plaque.

After I dried up my tears, I opened up March's gift, the theme was "Light up the Night". Our secret buddy sent us two very cute lights in the shape of flowers and some candles in very colourful candle holders. She even included the light bulbs! How thoughtful is that? I'm so excited to put up (or have Shawn put up) the lights in her nursery.

We will hold onto April's gift, I will resist the urge to open it early ;).

There was another recipient of my SB's generosity that was unexpected. Because she sent everything in one box, Jazz got in on the action as well. She loved playing in the box with the little peanuts of styrofoam. So on Jazz's behalf, thank you very much! You've really outdone yourself.

Facts about me

I got this from Nicole's site. Thought it was fun so I'd give it a try.

1. Can you cook? Not if I can help it.
2. What was your dream growing up?There were several, ballerina, astronaut, scientist. Also always wanted a family.
3. What talent do you wish you had? I wish I could draw.
4. Favorite place? Home, Dorthey had it right, there's no place like home.
5. Favorite vegetable?Phooey on vegetables.
6. The last book you read?Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress, interesting views on the Chinese Cultural Revolution
7. What zodiac sign are you? Leo
8. Any Tattoos and / or Piercings? No tattoos, but I do have ear piercings.
9. Worst Habit? Nail biting when I get nervious, anxious or bored
10. Do we know each other outside of this blog?Yup, I've met Nicole a couple of times already. Hopefully many more to come.
11. What is your favourite sport? Wrestling the remote control from Shawn
12. Negative or Optimistic attitude?Depends on the day really.
13. What would you do if you were stuck in an elevator? Listen to my iPod til the battery ran out.
14. Worst thing to ever happen to you?My mom passing away.
15. Tell me a weird fact about you:I go on cleaning binges when stuff really gets to me and I have to clean everything right away.
16. Do you have any pets?Jazz the cat.
17. Do you know how to do the Macarena?I avoid it at all cost, even though it was my people who created that wretched thing.
18.What time is it where you are now? 9 pm
19. Do you think clowns are cute or scary?Mostly scary.
20. If you could change one thing about how you look, what would it be? I'd want to be taller, the short jokes get old really quickly.
21. What colour eyes do you have?Brown.
22. Ever been arrested?No.
23. Bottle or Draft?Can't stand beer.
24. If you won $10,000 dollars today, what would you do with it?Renovate my kitchen. I hate it and can't wait til the day when I can renovate it.
25. What kind of bubble gum do you prefer to chew?Don't chew gum.
26. Which is your favourite bar to hang at?I'm too old to hang out in bars.
27. Do you believe in ghosts?Nope.
28. Favourite thing to do in your spare time?Hang out with Shawn, scrapbooking, blogging.
29. Do you swear a lot?Depends on how angry I get.
30. Favorite swear word?Depends if there are delicate ears in the area or not.
31. Biggest pet peeve? When people tell me I'm going to get preagnant as soon as we get back from China.
32. In one word, how would you describe yourself? Stable.

If you feel like sharing, go right ahead.

Sad News

Sometimes life really sucks. For the past couple of years, one of my neighbours has been fighting against a brain tumour. He was only given a couple of months to live but he fought and survived. Last night though, he couldn't do it anymore and passed away quietly. His wife was with him so he wasn't alone.

My thoughts are with our neighbours as I know all to well what they are going through. I hope they feel the love and support from us and I hope they know they are not alone as we have wonderful neighbours. I know there is nothing that I can say to make things better for them. All I can do is be there when they need me.

Special presents

On Saturday as Isabel and I were at our local Superstore picking up the party supplies when we saw the most adorable little dress. Isabel knows that Shawn and I have made the decision to not buy anything for the baby until we get closer to our referral so she decided to buy the little dress for her niece. It's a beautiful little dress with ladybugs on it. It even has the diaper cover up underwear too. I know Tita Isabel is going to enjoy shopping for her niece.

Later in the evening, our friends Khal and Sara also brought something for the baby, a Dora Activity Ride-on. Of course Shawn and Khal were forced to put it together because we had many little anxious people waiting to take it for a spin. Thank you very much Khal and Sara, I know the baby will love it, seeing how Tara, Lucas and Shayla were going crazy over it.
Tara and Shawn putting the toy together


The completed project.


Going for a spin.

I asked Lucas if it's been safety tested and he responded that yes it is, he safety tested it himself. I have my own safety inspector. How cool is that?

Celebrating good times

Just like Kool and the Gang ordered. We've been having great celebrations the past couple of days. On Thursday I got a call on my cell phone at work and on the screen it said "Home Calling". This caused me some anxiety as the only one at home that I knew of was Jazz and I don't think she's mastered using the phone. It was Mark, Isabel and Lucas! They had made the long trek from Barbados where Mark's brother recently got married, back home then to our place in two days. I was very surprised to see them on Thursday, I thought they'd be by on Friday so it was really nice having them over a day earlier. I'd been having such a crummy week when I saw the gang I started crying right in the middle of Chuck E. Cheese. It was the first time I'd seen Mark since my mom's funeral and the first time I saw him since he returned from Afghanistan. It was great seeing them again. It's always a blast seeing Lucas and of course he was very excited to see Tita and Tito Shawn.

Friday night we all went out to Tony Roma's for dinner with the whole gang including my Aunt, and my cousins Manny and Johnny since it was also Johnny's birthday. The best part of the eveing was during dessert, when Lucas went to sit beside Manny as he was eating his ice cream. Lucas placed a genlte hand on Manny's arm, looked him in the eye and said "Can I have your ice cream?". At least he's not shy.

On Saturday we had our family and friends over to continue the celebration. We were very happy that Rhonda and Josh, Michelle and Lisa, Craig and Kaileigh. Mark was at home sick, suffering from a very bad head cold and his presence was very much missed. Hope you're feeling better soon. I hope everyone had a good time. It was great having everyone over, including Jeff and his girlfriend Vicki, Kristy, who did a great job watching Lucas while we were getting things ready, Latila who was such a trooper and came over sick, Jon who came over even though he'd spent the entire day working.

I would like to thank everyone who came over last night to help us celebrate Shawn's birthday. We had a great time and hope you all did too.

I still have to download the pictures from my camera and I'm waiting for pictures from other people too.

Birthday celebrations

I just want to wish my wonderful husband a very happy 35th birthday! I'm so lucky to have him in my life. A girl couldn't ask for a more wonderful, loving, caring and patient (let me stress patient) husband.

Enjoy your day sweetie, you deserve it!

I would also like to wish my little cousin Johnny a very happy 14th birthday! Both Shawn and Johnny share the same birthday. I can't believe he's already 14. I remember running from my university classes to see him in the hospital when I found out he was born. He's now even taller than me (not that it's much of a strech since I'm slightly taller than a smurf).

Have a great day boys!

One Year Blogiversary

Today marks the one year anniversary that I started this blog. That was when I foolishly, naively or optimisitcally believed that we might actually be holding our daughter today. My how one's view of the world can change in a year.

In the past year:

• I've lost my mom and Auntie Belle
• I discovered our wait time could be triple what I originally thought it would be
• Shawn was in a major car accident and walked away with only a couple of scratches
• Mark went to Afghanistan and returned home safely
• I went to New York City
• I learned that the worst situations don't always bring out the best in people
• I've also learned that sometimes you get the best surprises where you least expect it
• I learned that I can deal with the worst pain ever and still wake up in the morning
• I've met some of the most amazing people because of this blog

Thank you everyone for sticking with me through the good and bad. You don't know how much you all mean to me and how much strength I receive from everyone. Thanks for keeping me sane.

Ride for Heart

Many of you know that my mom passed away as a result of a heart attack last fall. She is not the first person I've lost to heart disease. My uncle and brother were also victims of heart disease. I've lost too many people in too short a time frame. I feel that I need to do something so Shawn and I will be participating in this year's Ride for Heart on behalf of the Heart and Stroke Foundation which will take place June 3, 2007.

One in three Canadian deaths annually are attributed to heart disease and stroke. Shawn and I are working to help reduce the threat of these diseases by participating in the 20th annual Becel Heart&Stroke Ride for Heart. Through this event, we are raising pledges to fund the life-saving research and education programs supported by the Heart and Stroke Foundation. We hope to raise $2,000 for the foundation.

I've posted a button under our picture which will take you to our personal donation page if you would like to make an online donation for this very worthy cause.

I now also have 2.5 months to get ready physically for the 25 km ride. The biking isn't so bad, it's the tushie I have issues with. After half an hour on my bike, it's all I can do to just walk never mind bike 25 km. I'm going to have to invest in a good pair of padded bike shorts. I do have a gel seat but it starts to feel like a plastic seat after a while.

Thanks in advance for all your support.

The case of the mysterious scratch

I went into the shower this morning and my arm was fine. I came out and had this huge scratch running along my arm. I don't know where it came from! Has this happened to anyone else? It's starting to get bumpy, like a speed bump. Sorry the pictures a bit blurry, I took it with my good arm.

Visual DNA

I found this on Kathy's site and thought it was really cool.

Read my VisualDNA™ Get your own VisualDNA™

What's your visual DNA?

Happy International Women's Day

Taken from the International Women's Day website:

Since its birth in the socialist movement, International Women's Day has grown to become a global day of recognition and celebration across developed and developing countries alike. For decades, IWD has grown from strength to strength annually...Women's organisations and governments around the world have also observed IWD annually on 8 March by holding large-scale events that honour women's advancement and while diligently reminding of the continued vigilance and action required to ensure that women's equality is gained and maintained in all aspects of life.

To all my bloggy friends, Happy International Women's Day! You are all truly wonderful, beautiful, caring women and I feel very honoured to know you and be able to share this amazing experience with all of you.

Ice, Ice Baby

I'm not referring to diamonds either. As a result of the snow storm we had last week, there's a huge chunk of ice clinging on to the side of the CN Tower. It's about 150 feet high. This piece of ice is now holding a good portion of downtown hostage. Part of the Gardner Expressway (a major highway) was closed earlier this week as a precaution. Nobody knows if this piece will eventually melt off slowly as the weather gets warmer or if it will plummet down to earth. I work directly across the street from the CN Tower. Would it be wrong for me to hope that the piece of ice will fall off the tower, fly around it, make it's way across the street and hit my building? I don't want anyone to get hurt, I just want to have a couple of days off that's more than just the weekend.

3rd LIDaversary

It's our three month LIDaversary and I'm having a meltdown. The rumours are flying around that referrals are out up to October 24, 2005. First of all, I do really want to congratulate all the new families. I'm very happy that you finally have your referrals, it's been a long time coming.

Now for my meltdown, even though the CCAA has not updated their website, if the 24th is the cut off date, that means there have only been 11 days of referrals. ELEVEN DAYS! That's it! I was hoping that they would at least finish the month. This means that we're still at least 13.5 months away from a referral. On top of all that, we got some news that really made me wonder what the heck is going on in the world. It's not something I can really post about, lest it come bite me in the butt later.

I'll be ok in a few days. I just need some time to digest.

I finally cracked

This weekend Shawn and I went State side to visit Nicole and Tim and do a little shopping. Nicole took us to this great little toy store where they sell Asian dolls. I had been waiting to purchase anything at all for the baby until we got our referral but I couldn't resist this. I finally bought something for the baby. It's this little doll, I haven't seen any like this in Canada so I thought I should take advantage and purchase it.

We had a great time with Nicole and Tim, and their menagerie of animals. Shawn fell in love with the dogs. I hope we can meet up with them again soon. It was a lot of fun.

In other news, the powder room is done! I have to give Shawn a lot of credit because he did so much of the work even though it was my idea. All I have to do is get the accessories and it'll be done forever! Hooray! Somebody was asking what colour we chose for the walls, it's called Billowing Clouds by CIL.

Iced in

I got up this morning to get ready to go to work as I always do. After listening to the news on the radio and taking a peak out the window I saw that our entire street was covered in ice. I decided then that it would be a better idea to stay at home rather than risk going out on ice. So here we are.

Shawn is working from home (lucky guy) and I'm just cleaning up a bit around the house. I also took the time to update our quilt blog. We're up to about 33 squares now, we still have a long way to go. If anybody is interested in exchanging squares and we haven't done so yet, just email me and I'll happily get a square out to you.

So much for global warming

At the risk of incuring the wrath of environmentalists everywhere, I am going to stand up and say WINTER BITES!

These are not clip art, this is a picture of my 'hood. The snow is falling, the wind is blowing and it's just miserable out there. Those shiny things, snow that got on the lens of the camera.

I left work early and was able to get on the early on an earlier train. Was it ever packed, I felt like a sardine. We got to the train station and I decided to take the bus home rather than have Shawn come pick me up. The bus they provide for commuters is not one of the big honking buses but the smaller ones they normally use for people you have disablities. It was all the poor little putt putt could do to get the momentum going. The engine would just be reving and we would hardly be moving. I finally made it home and Shawn was out there diligently snowblowing away with his beloved Maple Leaf toque. My poor little snowman. Being the good guy he is, Shawn went and helped out our neighbours as well that don't have one so when he came in he was just covered from head to toe.

I think it's time to invest in a property in the Caribbean.