And then there were two...

Today is the second last day of the challenge for me.  I think I did pretty good.  I am only one day behind my goal of being finished by the end of the month.  The question for today is a loaded one and one that I have spent a lot of time thinking about.

What are your hopes, dreams and plans for the next 365 days?

This is something that I spend a large portion of my spare time thinking about.  Whenever I drive back and forth from Lloyd to Kitscoty my mind will often wander to this topic of thought.  There are a few things that are constant themes in my conversations with myself. 

One consistent thought is when and how and where are we going to buy a house.  We have started looking at building our first home up here and are working towards being able to do that sometime in the next year.  We'll see if we can actually work it out.  We drive past the builders site every time we got to Lloyd and so it always reminds me of the goal to purchase our first home.

Another consistent thought is a vacation.  I would LOVE to go on a real holiday.  This means getting on an airplane and flying somewhere I have never been before.  I am crossing my fingers and hoping that we can catch a sweet deal on an all inclusive to some tropical place with a beach and amazing clear blue water.

I also have a plan to find some way to make money from home.  I am thinking about working with some of the other ladies from the Branch and getting crafty and working towards the Christmas extravaganza that happens here every November.  I am also looking into getting a long arm quilting machine and taking in quilts to be quilted.  It's a little more expensive to do that one...so that one will take a little more money and time to accomplish.  We'll see what happens. 

My final goal for the year is to help plan and attend a killer family reunion for my Mom's side of the family in July.  This is going to be a lot of work but I think it's totally worth it to create these memories and build relationships with our extended family. 

That about sums up the hopes and dreams of little old me for the next year.  I guess we'll see how that pans out. 

Oh...my best dream and most outlandish one 0is to win the Lotto Max.  You heard right.  I want to win the millions of dollars.  That is all.

Can see the finish line!

So I after I got home from teaching English in China I started working at IGA in Fort Macleod.  I was trained in the Deli department to slice meats and cheeses and make all the party trays and salads.  It was a stressful job for me because my supervisor was a real battleaxe and the only way to accomplish anything was her way.  so frustrating.  Anyways, one afternoon I was just finishing slicing the specialty cheeses and needed to clean the slicer.  I was taking the guards off the blade  and one of the screws was stuck but I finally got the guards off and put them in the sink. I continued to try and get the screw to come loose and of course with all my force my hand slipped and I punched the blade of the slicer and cut 3 of my fingers on my left hand to the bone.  I immediately grabbed my hand and applied pressure.  One of my co-workers asked if she could look at it to see if I needed medical attention and I wouldn't let go.  She finally got me to let her take a look and there was blood everywhere...not a good idea to let go!  So I was rushed to the local ER to get my fingers looked at.  When I got to the hospital they got me all situated in one of the little curtained off areas and then wanted me to let them look at my hand again...I was very reluctant to let go...my blood is a precious commodity.  They decided I had to soak my hand in iodine before they could get a good look at the wound because the slicer had not been clean when it tried to eat me.  Anyways that hurt like Hades and I almost passed out...almost.  They had to lie me down and put me on oxygen.  My hand had started throbbing at this point and I was sure that I was never going to see my little fingers again.  The Dr. came back after a bit to check on me and finally got a good look at my fingers.  He determined that they could be saved and I could even for go stitches and use glue to seal the cuts closed because the slicer did such a straight clean cut.  So I got my fingers glued back on and had to wear my hand strapped to this board-type thing to make sure they didn't curl up and heal weird.  When I finally got to leave the hospital I went back to work to get my stuff and pick up my car.  I was just pulling up to my house when I looked up and saw my Mom riding her bike towards me with the reddest face I have ever seen.  Apparently one of the girls from work had called my house to check on me and told my Mom what had happened (made it sound like I was dying) and so my Mom hopped on her bike and rode to the hospital to make sure I was okay.  By the time she got there I had already been released and was back at work...she wasn't very happy with me.  Sorry Mom.  I was off of work for about 10 days after "the accident" and after that I refused to work in the deli anymore.  It turned out pretty good if you ask me because I was transferred to the bakery department which I loved and learned how to decorate cakes.  I now have two visible scars and one hidden right in the knuckle.  and my pinky on mt left hand often feels like it's just coming back from being asleep and tingles.  It's weird.  Good story eh!!!   

Here's a picture of the devil machine that tried to kill me.

I want to skip this one...

So we are down to the last four post of the 30 day challenge and I want to skip today's question.   I am supposed to write about a physical feature I love.  I do not have any that I love about myself.  So I don't want to write about this one. 

Tune in tomorrow for a new post about my very crazy life!!

Remember the time...

There are so many great memories I have of childhood and so many that are not so great... we were little devils.  I have no idea how my brother, Mike, and I survived to adulthood after some of the stunts we tried to pull.  Here are a few examples.

One afternoon (I must of been 7 or 8 years old and I have no idea where my parents were) my brother and I decided that we would take the box of shot gun shells off the shelf in the storage room and use a bread knife and saw them open.  We then went out to our big garage (full of junk ~ not vehicles) and poured all of the powder from the shells into a big pile on the cement floor.  It looked like a large ant hill.  Then with the neighborhood kids looking on we dropped a lit match into the pile.  I have never heard anything so loud in my whole life.  It was a huge boom!  In my memory I recall even seeing the roof of the garage lift off the walls from the force of the blast and I could see the blue afternoon sky through the gap.  I could be making that part up...not quite sure! lol  We all survived to tell the tale and I actually think we never even got in trouble for this stunt.  It was pretty cool but I do not recommend trying this at home kids!!

Another Saturday afternoon and Mikey, Tommy Dice, Ty and I wanted to go up to Orr's to play with our friend Perry.  It was later in the afternoon and starting to get dark.  We were super genius kids so we came up with a plan to light our way with the impending doom of darkness fast approaching (apparently flashlights didn't exist back then...1980's).  We went and found a thick branch about an arm's length long.  We wrapped one end of the branch with paper towels to create an Indiana Jones style torch.  Or so we thought.  We grabbed some matches and thought we were good to go.  Outside on our front driveway we decided to light up our "torch" and head out on our adventure.  Being that we live in southern Alberta and with the almost constant wind that blows there our plan had a tiny bit of a problem.  When we lit the paper towel on fire the wind caught it and ripped the whole wad off of the branch.  It ended up wrapping itself around the leg of our friend Tommy.  So now not only did we not have our torch to light our way but our friend was on fire!  Excellent.  It just so happens that at pretty much the exact moment that the lit torch started Tommy on fire my Mom drove up and saved the day.  I do recall a rather large spanking that came my way that night when my Dad got home from work and found out what we had done. 

Another wonderful memory I have ( I wish there was a sarcasm font...it would work so well with this story) is of the Christmas around when I was 12.  As I recall my oldest sister had drawn my name for the siblings draw.  I was actually kind of excited.  Until I opened my "gift".  It was an Oscar the grouch t-shirt that had some sort of saying on it that basically said I hate the world.  I was not impressed with that t-shirt.  In fact I was hurt, disappointed and angry.  My sister even told me that the reason she bought it for me was because it reminded her of me and how grouchy I always was.  In my memory I recall the whole family sitting around opening gifts and when I opened mine they all laughed and said how perfect it was.  Just what every 12 year old girl wants is to wear a t-shirt that says "hey I'm super angry."  Just makes you want to ask " Wanna be my friend?"  and the sesame street character on it was so super cool and in fashion too (sarcasm font).  Not super cool in my mind.   I have to say that this is one of a very few Christmas memories I have.  Must have really impacted me because to this day I do not particularly like Christmas and kind of wish it would just go away.  I also want to say that I am not trying to be bitter or anything.  I love my sister and would do anything for her and her family.   So please family refrain from posting nasty comments and telling me to get over it.  I just find it funny the things we remember and how a simple Christmas gift can change the way you feel about an entire holiday.   


I think it's interesting to talk about memories with other people that were there too.  It always seems there are conflicting elements.  Which I am sure every single one of these stories would have too.  I am kind of curious to see if any of my siblings remember different versions of the stories.  If so I want to hear them! 

Oh and by the way, I still have the t-shirt.  It's in a box in my Mom's attic somewhere.  Now I kind of want to dig it out and see exactly why it made me so mad.  Maybe next time I'm home.

Glorious Goodness

Today is a good day.  I get to talk about food again! lol  One of my favorite recipes to be exact.  This time of year when it gets cold and snowy outside I just can't help but want to make a great hearty soup with fresh bread or buns for dinner.  Here is the recipe for Sister Blatter's Potato Cheese Soup (shhhhhhhhhhhh don't tell I am sharing it with you...it's supposed to be a family secret!).

Potato Cheese Soup

5 cups chicken broth

6 diced potatoes

2 grated carrots

1 diced stalk of celery

1 small onion grated

parsley flakes

500 ml 1/2 and 1/2 cream

2 cups grated cheese

Cook vegetables in broth until tender.  

Add the 1/2 and 1/2 cream.  

Thicken with flour and water mixture. 

Add cheese and sprinkle in some parsley for color.  

Salt and pepper to taste.

Super (hahaha... I'm so punny!) easy to make and tastes delicious too!  You'll be glad you tried it!  I like to sprinkle real bacon bits on top as a garnish too and it is so good!!  And warm bread or biscuits just make this meal complete!  It's great for those days when you just can't get warm.  I hope you enjoy it and I don't get in trouble for giving out the recipe! lol

A movie no one would expect me to love.

There are a few movies that I'm sure people would be surprised to learn that I actually really like them. 

Billy Madison ~ This is actually one of my favorite movies.  It's so ridiculous.  And yet full of quotable quotes that apply to everyday life! lol  Not really.  But it is funny.  Please don't hate me for liking this movie.  It's one of my quirks.  Here is one of my favorite clips...

"Stop looking at me SWAN!"

Classic.

The Chorus ~ It would be no surprise that I love this movie except for the fact that most english speaking people have never even heard of it.  It's all in french and you have to read subtitles to know what's going on unless of course you paid attention in high school and actually learned french! lol  I did not.  My good friend Burton introduced this film to me a very long time ago and I have loved it ever since.  Here is the trailer for the movie...I suggest you see if you can find it.  It's worth watching.

I have absolutely no idea!

Today's question really does have me stumped.  

For real.  

I have absolutely no idea what so ever how to answer it.

A way in which you would like to be remembered.

Ummmmmmm.  You got me.  

I mean I'm not Picasso or Albert Einstein or Julia Roberts...

I really have nothing that is of huge interest or impact to society.  

I think I would most like to be remembered for some awesome achievement 

like climbing Everest or building schools in Africa.  

The odds of any of that actually happening though are slim to none 

so I guess I better come up with something else.  

Maybe I could be known for adopting lots of children from all over the world.  

Oh wait, Brad and Angelina already have that one all wrapped up.  

I guess if nothing else this quote I found would be a great way to be remembered.  If people say this about me I wouldn't even be mad.

I've made mistakes and I've grown a lot (I like to think).  

I have taken chances and made choices that haven't always turned out to be the best 

but I have always learned something from those decisions.  

And I will keep taking chances.  

I did end up with exactly who I was meant to be with.  

I try to say how I feel and I always try to be me!  

I am almost okay with that.

An addiction...

Hi my name is Kristi and I have an addiction.  A Pinterest addiction.  It's been 3 months and I can't stop looking at it almost everyday.  I love seeing all the amazing things people are doing to make their homes their own.  I hate crafts and yet have been inspired to try a few just because I saw something I thought even I could do.  The recipes have been amazing.  I have made more than one that I have found on pinterest and they have all been soooooooo good!!  We did the KFC Chicken fingers again last night and I still love them!  I also really enjoy all of the quotes and sayings that are humorous or inspiring.  And I can always get a laugh from the auto-correct texts that people post.  Seriously, they are gut busting funny!.  I also can always find something creative and fun to do with the young women from pinterest.  In fact, we are doing another pinterest activity tomorrow! : ) So for your enjoyment here are a few of my favorite finds so far... enjoy the pictures!!

 I currently have an obsesson with buttons and if I could actually 

find cute ones I would maybe attempt this craft!

 Seriously one of my favorite quotes. haha  

I honestly feel this way about almost everyone I know!

Cutest bag!!!  

I am going to make one and will post pics when I am done.  

Really.  I am.

This is the KFC chicken!!  It really is delicious AND super easy!!

 This map is killer!  

Someday when I have my own house with an office/library this will be on the wall!

This is one of the cutest ideas I have ever seen!!  

I think my sister Liisa should do it with her boys right now!!

And my cousin Mandy should keep this idea on her list for when Stratton is a few months older...just saying! 

 I love the simple pattern of this quilt and hope to get it made one day for someone...

maybe for Maitland when he is ready for an actual bed.

AAAAAAAA-MAZING!!  

These are all thumb tacs!  

Can you imagine doing a fun quote on your wall like this?  

So intersting and different and not vinyl!  

Also on my to-do list for when I have my own house.

And now for something a little different...

So for today the question was to share something that I do differently than most people.  On Friday night after our Branch chili cook off there was a group of girls from the Branch that braved the cold and the lines and went to opening night of Breaking Dawn.  While we were there Kalinda and I were talking and I mentioned that I actually really like coming to the movies to see the previews almost more than I like to watch the movie.   Kalinda thought that was a little strange and mentioned that I should of put that as one of my 5 strange facts.  I just love seeing what coming up and deciding what might be worth going to over the next few months.  Apparently that is a little weird and not what most people do.  I know a lot of people who are purposely late for a movie just so they miss the previews but that is my favorite part.  That's the best I can come up with for something about me that's a little "different".

Here's a picture of the group of us waiting to get into the theater for Breaking Dawn

Myself, Tiffany, Faith, Chelsea and Kalinda

We are missing Jen (who hadn't gotten there yet) and Kelly who was way at the front of the line and saved us all seats and saved the day!!

Food...

I could talk about food forever.  I seriously love it.  Which is why I look the way I do.  I like to eat and have very little motivation right now to get off my butt and work off all the calories.  Anyways, on to the challenge...

One food I like:

My favorite restaurant back home is called O'Sho's.  It's a Japanese place.  I am not super adventurous when it comes to food so no sushi for me but they make the most delicious beef teriyaki that I just have to have it when I am home.  And the potatoes and carrots and broccoli mix that is fried is so good!!  Oh man,  now I'm starving and craving O'sho's!  Shoot.  I need to make a trip home asap.  It looks not so appetizing in the picture but I promise that it is delicious and you will not regret having it!!

One food I don't like:

This one is easy.  One of the things I hate the most in all the world is cream cheese.  I hate the taste, the texture and the smell.  I have tried on numerous occasions to give it a chance but every time it just makes me gag and I do not enjoy it at all to say the least.  I know it looks pretty when you see it all done up for dessert but no matter how pretty and appetizing it looks I just can't get it to taste good in my mouth.  Kind of makes me sad.  Oh well.  There are lots of other great things out there to take the place of cream cheese!!  And believe me...I've found them! : )

Talents...

I always feel awkward talking about my own talents.  Ask me to describe a talent someone else has and I am all over it.  But I don't like to toot my own horn and I usually don't like to broadcast the things I excel at.  There are a few reasons for this...one reason is that as soon as people know that you can/love to do what it is you do then there is a higher expectation for you and that scares me.  Just because I can do something doesn't mean that I am amazing at it or even remotely good at it.  There are a few things however that I think I am able to accomplish above average results in.  They are a very few things and only a teeny tiny bit above average! For real.

I love to sing.  Music makes me happy and fills my heart with joy.  I love to sing to Maitland because he thinks I am funny when I sing and he pretty much giggles his little head off and I love that.  I never used to sing alone.  I always had to have a group to sing with but over the last 10 years or so I have gotten more and more comfortable with singing solo.  I cannot stop myself from singing a gorgeous harmony line though.  Voices working together to create such glorious sound is the best ever!  

I love to quilt.  I know it is kind of lame.  But I love cutting the fabric up into all the different pieces and then putting it all back together again to make a beautiful pattern and create something that will last for a very long time.  I am trying to learn new skills all the time and getting better at it as I have more time to put into it.

I am a champion procrastinator.  I don't know if this counts as a talent or not but I can leave things to the very last minute and still get them done with decent results.  I don't think this is a good thing and I really do try most of the time to not procrastinate but really, if we don't use our talents then we lose them so I better keep working on this one! 

Favorite room

Day 17 of the challenge and I am supposed to post a picture of my favorite room in our house.  Well, I actually don't really love any of them.  That is one reason why renting isn't so fun!  I wish I could paint the walls and make the rooms more to my color taste...but oh well.  Anyways, of all the rooms in our house I think Maitlands is the best decorated and cutest so here you go.

I love rocking my little boy to sleep in that rocking chair.  There is just something so calming and relaxed about it.  Maitland loves it too.  Especially if I sing "You are my Sunshine" to him at the same time.

An Art Piece

So today's question was favorite piece of art.  I have had the opportunity in the years before I got married to travel a little.  I decided instead of buying tacky t-shirts or tiny spoons or a million and one other lame souvenirs that I would put my money toward something a little more substantial to display once I got home.   Here are two of my purchases from those trips.

The above oil painting is of Venice, Italy.  I have never been there...lol but I was in Rome with my Mom on my 25th birthday and saw this painting in Piazza Novona.  I just had to buy it.  Luckily it was able to be rolled up and fit nicely in my suitcase for the flight home.  I got it stretched and framed once we were back home.  I love it and it's hanging in my dining room where I can see it everyday and be reminded that where you live is not where you must stay.  There is a big world out there and I fully intend on seeing more of it. 

The above picture is a Chinese paper cutting.  I was very fortunate to be able to teach English in Beijing, China for 4 months.  I loved the teaching and experiencing this beautiful culture.  The Panjiayuan (Dirt) Market was only open on Saturdays and it was amazing!!!  I loved going there to battle back and forth with the different vendors for whatever they may be selling and to pick up some seriously phenomenal pieces to bring home with me.  I found the paper cutting at a small booth along the north wall of the market.  I walked into the store and I was instantly amazed at the detail and craftsmanship of all the beautiful works of art there.  I loved the intricacy of the pattern on her dress.  I couldn't help myself and had to buy it.  I think it cost me about $20 Canadian and it was worth every penny.  It's the one thing that hangs in my home that reminds me of my adventures teaching overseas and all of the crazy experiences I had there.  

p.s. the huge shiny circle is not a part of the cutting but the reflection of my flash in the glass of the frame I have it in...I tried a gazillion times to take it without it but it just never worked well.  If you want to see the real thing you'll just have to come and visit!!   

This last painting is one of my favorites.  It's called "The Singing Butler".  I love the romance it portrays and the grace of the dancing.  It seems so spontaneous and enchanting.  I also love the vibrant red dress and how it grabs your attention from the rest of the painting.  I do not currently own this painting but someday I hope to be able to find it and be able to afford it once I do! 

The Little Girl

I remember the first time I heard this song.  I was walking home from Church one afternoon and my sister Erin pulled up beside me and told me to get into the car because I had to hear this song.  We sat in her car with tears running down our cheeks.  I couldn't help but feel such heartache and loss for this little girl and recognize the sweet testimony of the Savior that this song shares.  So very true that our Savior will always be there for us to hold us and carry us through our darkest experiences.  It still makes me cry and even more so now that I am a Mom and can't even fathom having my own child having to go through life like the little girl.

Five things that freak me out!

So today's challenge is to write about 5 funny fears.  I don't particularly think that anything that scares me is funny...a little irrational perhaps but not funny.  Anyways, here goes.  I can't even add pictures to this post because I don't want to have to look up all these freaky things so just use your imagination!!

1.  Spiders ~ Any size any time.  I hate them and they freak me out.  Ask Kent and Adrienne Toone and they can tell you a few spider stories from when I was staying at their place for awhile.  I do remember one day while I was at my Mom's and I was in the bathroom blow drying and doing my hair and when I turned around to leave the bathroom there was a ginormous spider on the wall beside the door.  I couldn't move.  What if the spider jumped at me? Or tried to bite my face off? Seriously...I was so scared!  My heart was racing and my hands were sweaty.  I finally decided that I was going to take control (after 10 minutes of standing petrified beside the toilet).  I grabbed my Mom's aerosol hairspray and sort of moved towards the spider.  I finally got as close as I could handle and started spraying.  The spider scurried down the wall trying to get away from the spray and I just kept spraying until finally it was on the floor and I could step on it and squish it.  This was a huge thing for me because usually I can't step on them either.  Good thing I already had my shoes on.  I have tried really hard to not freak out about spiders anymore because I am home a lot by myself and I can't wait for Matt to get home all the time...I'm still scared though.  Huge wimp.

2. Snakes ~ Why do these even exist?  I can't even watch a movie with them in it without covering my eyes.  Harry Potter for instance in the last 2 films especially there is a lot of snake going on.  I always look away at the parts with the snake and make sure it's over before I look back.  Matt thinks this is funny.  I do not.

3.  Parking lots ~ This is super lame.  I really do get scared though when I am walking from a mall or whatever towards my car.  I just think that someone is either going to jump me or drive up and pull me into a white van and abduct me.  I know it's not really going to happen but it goes through my mind almost every time I have to walk to my car.  I try not to go shopping when it's going to be dark out.  Silly, I know.

4. Mice ~ Gross!!!!  They just make my skin crawl.  I am afraid of them if I see them alive or dead.  Doesn't matter.  When I worked at the Mall in Lethbridge one of our store locations had a mouse issue.  I had to force myself to go to work everyday knowing there would likely be a trap waiting to be emptied when I got there.  Nikki and I were working one day and this guy from GNC across the hall came into the store and said that he just saw a huge mouse run into our store from out in the hallway.  I about fainted!  I was 6 months pregnant and was worried that my elevated heart rate was going to put me into labor right then.  Nikki got down on all fours and started looking under the shelves and must of scared the mouse because it all of a sudden came running out from under the shelves and ran along the wall of the store and back out into the hall.  I screamed when I saw it and Nikki screamed and we both almost cried...almost.  It was intense.  But we survived and now we laugh about it all the time.  Such fun memories.

5. The Dark ~ I hate sleeping with lights of any kind on.  I can't even handle an alarm clock glowing.  Drives me nuts.  But what I hate more is waking up in the pitch dark and "hearing" something that shouldn't be there.  Then I'm freaked out and have to try and talk myself down from my fear.  This one time when I was going to college in Lethbridge I lived in this little house by the hospital with a bunch of girls and I was the only one home on a long weekend because I had to work.  I got home and thought it was a little creepy to be home alone but whatever.  So I got ready for bed and read for a while and then turned off my light and went to sleep.  The next thing I know I am wide awake and my heart is racing because I just heard a huge "BANG" from the bathroom.  I was sure that someone had broken in through the bathroom window and i was about to meet my maker.  So instead of going to check it out I covered my head under my blankets and pretended nothing was wrong.  Eventually I did fall back asleep.  When I woke up the next morning I tiptoed out into the house and was surprised to see all of our stuff was still there.  So I went into the bathroom to check out the window and I found my razor on the bottom of the tub.  It was one of those suction cup holder things and it came off the wall in the night and dropped my rather large razor onto the tub which made the huge noise!  I really wonder how our brains function sometimes!

So now that you know the things that "freak" me out I hope you are all kind and don't try to use these things as weapons against me!  I am sorry for anything I may have ever done to any of you out there that you feel requires retaliation.  Please be forgive me and let it go. 

Where in the world?!?!

Here is my dream vacation.  It would be absolutely amazing and I should start saving my pennies so that Matt and I can actually afford to go for our 10 year anniversary.  Enjoy the description!

 

 

 5-Night Land Tour featuring 3-nights Rome, 2-nights Florence plus a 12-day Greek Isles cruise. 

 

 

 

Highlights:

Rome half day sighseeing tour, including group Vatican entrance
UNESCO World Heritage sites: Rome and Florence
Entrance to the Academy of Fine Arts
Winery tour and wine tasting

Itinerary:
Day	Destination
1	Rome Arrive in the great city of Rome and check in to your hotel. The remainder of the day is at leisure to rest or begin exploring the city. This evening, join your tour director and meet your fellow travelers at a welcome dinner at a local restaurant. Overnight at the Boscolo Exedra Rome. (D)
2	Rome Morning sightseeing of the Eternal City with a local guide begins with a visit to the ancient Colosseum and the Roman Forum, where the center of ancient Roman life unfolded. Continue on a walking tour to the magnificent marbled Trevi Fountain, Navona Square, the well-preserved Roman Pantheon and the famous Spanish Steps. Your afternoon is free to spend wandering the city at your leisure. Overnight at the Boscolo Exedra Rome. (B)
3	Rome After enjoying breakfast at the hotel, gear up for an amazing morning at the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel, famous for Michelangelo’s ceiling paintings and Last Judgment fresco. Photograph the city’s treasures to your heart’s content as you continue to monumental St. Peter’s Square and Basilica before spending the rest of your day as you please. Overnight at the Boscolo Exedra Rome. (B)
4	Rome/Florence Depart Rome by motorcoach for a relaxing day en route to Florence. Drive through the Tuscan countryside with a visit to a local winery for lunch, tour and wine tasting. Continue to Florence. Overnight at Hotel Albani. (B,L)
5	Florence This morning’s guided walking tour introduces you to the historic sights of Florence such as the magnificent Duomo cathedral and the Baptistry’s heavy bronze Gates of Paradise. You will also visit the Academy of Fine Arts where you see and learn about Michelangelo’s celebrated David. This afternoon is at leisure to explore the fascinating art and architecture of Florence as you wish. In the evening, enjoy a Tuscan dinner highlighting local regional cuisine. Overnight at Hotel Albani. (B,D)
6	Florence/Venice/Embark Ship Following a leisurely breakfast, then depart by motorcoach to Venice where you’ll embark on your voyage. (B)
	Port	Arrival	Departure
6	Venice, Italy
7	Venice, Italy		8:00 AM
8	At Sea
9	Athens (Piraeus), Greece	9:00 AM	6:45 PM
10	Kusadasi, Turkey (for Ephesus)	7:00 AM	1:00 PM
11	Istanbul, Turkey	8:00 AM	6:00 PM
12	Mykonos, Greece	12:00 PM	7:00 PM
13	At Sea
14	Naples, Italy (for Capri & Pompeii)	7:00 AM	6:00 PM
15	Florence/Pisa (Livorno), Italy	8:00 AM	8:00 PM
16	Rome (Civitavecchia), Italy	7:00 AM	7:00 PM
17	Monte Carlo, Monaco	7:00 AM	2:00 PM
18	Barcelona, Spain	5:00 AM
Day	Destination
18	Disembark in Barcelona

 

 

Does this not sound divine!!  Seriously...who's coming with us??  Would be sooooooooo much fun!  Trevor and Whitney...I think maybe we should plan on this vacation together.  Just saying. : )

Here's a few pics of some of the different places we would visit...

Mykonos, Greece

	Monte Carlo, Monaco                                Istanbul, Turkey
	Athens (Piraeus), Greece

5 strange things about me...

Well I took yesterday off from my blog to enjoy a day of rest.  It was a good day.  I sang in Sacrament Meeting in our Branch and it went pretty good so I was happy with that.  Maitland babbled and jibber jabbered all through the passing of the Sacrament and was so cute but super noisy.  I'm never quite sure when the time is to take him out because I don't want to get into that habit.  We did okay after that though because a bottle and a cuddle with Tiffany and he was out for the rest of the meeting.  We had also been invited to Gurney's for dinner so Maitland and I went in the afternoon.  It was a delicious roast beef dinner and I had a great time getting to know the Gurney's better and spending time with their family.  Their kids are so adorable.  The only sad part was that Matt wasn't home from work in time to come so he missed out.  I guess I'll have to make it up to him one of these days with a good dinner.  Anyways,  back to the task at hand and the 30 day challenge.

5 strange things about me...
I'm kind of stumped.  I mean I know I'm a little weird and all but nothing is coming to mind.

This is the best I can come up with.

1.  I like the toilet paper roll to be put on with the paper coming over the top of the roll.  That's just the way it should be.

2. I think most of the animated shows that have come out in the past 6 or 7 years are dumb.  And I have very little desire to see any of them.  Which is sad because I love the classics and wish they would go back to that instead of always trying to outdo the last film. 

3.  I wish that life were a musical and that people would bust out into song when they were angry, frustrated, confused, happy or in love.  I think it would be hilarious and would give every family awesome topics for around the dinner table.  It definitely would make life way more interesting!

4.  I dislike Christmas.  I would be quite happy if it never happened.  I hate the commercialism and all the fuss and stress over the whole thing.  I would love to just spend the day at home with my own little family and not have to worry about being at family dinners and going back and forth between our different families and all the presents and general craziness that ensues.  One good thing about living far away from family is that this year that is exactly what our plan for Christmas day is...stay home and have the day to build our own traditions with our little man and relax.

5.  I want to be Suzy homemaker.   Really I do.  I go in spurts and do really well for a week or so with making the beds everyday, keeping up with the laundry, doing the dishes and cleaning the bathroom.  But then I get lazy and start day dreaming about winning millions and not having to do those things anymore and I go on pinterest and see all the amazing decor and houses and another week has gone by and my house is a disaster!  It's a good thing I have a patient husband who puts up with me.

Am I strange?  I suppose it's true.  But I think I already knew that.

 

 

The music of "THE" day

Day 12:  When Matt and I started dating this song was new to the charts.  When we got engaged 7 weeks later I knew that this was the perfect song because it explained the way we felt about each other.  We danced to it for our first song...the first and last time Matt has danced with me!  I will always love listening to this song and remember our wedding and that moment.

Oh and we played this song at our wedding too...wouldn't want anyone to miss this one!!

It was fun to toss my bouquet to it.  Don't be haters! ; )

Moving right along...

I have to say that I am pretty proud of myself so far with sticking to the blog challenge.  I hope you have enjoyed reading it as much as I have enjoyed writing it thus far.  So here we go with Day 11!

A photo of me taken recently...hmmmmmm let me see what I can find.

This is a picture that I took and sent to Matt one day while he was at work.  It's from some time in August I think.  Maitland would not stop saying dada dada all day long.  I love my little boy so much!!   

One more note: Seeing as it's Remembrance Day I wanted to thank all those who have given their lives and sacrificed so much so that I am able to have everyday to spend with my own family.  I truly thank you and wish nothing but blessings into your lives for all that you have done for so many.  Let's not forget why we have so much.

Day 10: A photo of you taken over 10 years ago

So I didn't even know this photo existed and then one day on facebook I was tagged in a picture so I went to check it out and this is what I found...

Apparently my siblings and I were asked to sing at "Big Lisa's" wedding.  She lived out in Orton near us and babysat us all the time.  I don't know what we sang or anything and I really have no memory of this even happening and I don't even know what year it is.  Maybe 1984 or 1985?  Anyways, "Big Lisa" wasn't really BIG she was just an adult and I have a sister named Liisa too so we started calling the other Lisa "Big Lisa" so we wouldn't get confused... got it?!?  Man we were weird.  So there you have it...a picture of me from over 10 years ago.

Day 9: Catch up...

 Day 9 is to post a photo you took...

Well here it is. 

 

I bought a film camera this summer and I couldn't resist trying my hand at capturing my adorable little boy with his rubber ducky!    

What do you think?  

I am currently working on putting a series of these onto canvas to hang in the bathroom.

Day 8: To the Man of my dreams

Day 8: A thank you letter to someone who has changed your life

To the Man of my dreams

The one who knows how to make me laugh so hard I might pee a little.

The one who can catch my eye across a room and say “I love you” with a glance.

The one whose arms can hold me and chase away my fears and worries.

The one who calls me beautiful and means it.

The one who dreams with me.

The one who allows me to be who I want to be.

The one who deals with all of my emotions.

The one who calls me crazy and still wants to be with me.

The one who helped fulfill my dream of being a Mom and gave us a beautiful baby boy.

The one who our son calls for day and night and you hate it when you have to leave.

The one who protects and provides for our family.

The one who made my life complete.

The one I could not live without.

The one I gave my heart to.

The one that took me to the temple.

The one I am building my eternity with.

Thank you for being “the one” for me.

I love you more than words could ever express.   

You are my everything.  

Thank you for loving me.

Love forever and always,

Your Mrs.

 

Day 7: Five things you couldn't possibly live without

Sorry I didn't get this posted yesterday.  For some reason I just wasn't in the blogging mood.  I'll catch up another day.  I decided to list "things" and not people or anything like that because of course my husband and son would be #1 on the list...so I will be a little more materialistic for this one! :)

1. My blackberry ~ I love it!  I use it all the time and I finally taught myself how to play Sudoku on it so it has to stay. 

2. My car ~ I love my little Hyundai.  I know Matt thinks it's a gutless wonder but it's a car I bought and love so he just has to deal with it.  Besides, without the car I wouldn't be able to "escape" and go to Lethbridge to visit family and friends as much.

3. Satellite ~ I know this is horrible but I am a TV junkie and would go into serious depression and withdrawal if I had to live with out all my shows.  And there are a lot that I love!!  I practically live on either TLC or HGTV with a little W network thrown in there for Friends reruns! lol  And then I have all of the nighttime stuff to watch on the regular networks...Grey's, Amazing race, Castle, Criminal Minds, Modern Family, Revenge, The Middle, Pawn Stars, American Pickers, Glee and Pan Am to name a few.

4. Music ~ I cannot even imagine a world where there was no music.  It's everywhere and I love it.  I have a few favorite artists that I shared earlier and it would just be so sad if I couldn't hear all the beauty that is there for us.

5.  Pizza ~ I love pizza!  It is my favorite food and a good Hawaiian pizza done right just makes my day.  Kind of sad but totally true!

So there you go.  A few things I think I would be very very unhappy without! 

30 days of getting to know me...still going strong!

A moment you wish you could relive.

One of my most cherished memories is the night that Matt told me that he loved me for the first time.  It was Valentines weekend in 2009. I had waited a very long time for my Mr. Right to come along and in that moment I knew that this was it.  It was such a tender moment and a realization that Heavenly Father was finally answering my prayers.  I could spend forever sitting in that car and feeling all those emotions rush over me.  It was one of the best moments of my life and I would gladly relive it.   This picture is from Valentines weekend when we went to Calgary for the Monster Truck rally...do we look any different now?  It seems like that was so long ago.

The other moment that I would want to relive would be the moment that I was able to take Matt's hand across the alter in the Temple and look him in the eye and make the commitment to be his wife for eternity.  It was the best moment of my life.  It has lead me to everything that I am today and given me so much to be grateful for.  Here is my favorite picture from our wedding.

 
The last moment I would like to relive would be the moment I became a mom.  My little Maitland is just such a sweet, precious, happy and adorable little boy.   I could live without redoing the whole labour thing but if that's what it takes to get my little boy then I suppose I can handle that.  Here is a picture from just a few minutes after Maitland was born.

Shoes! Glorious Shoes!!

Today we get to talk about my favorite shoes...I do have a few.  My first pair of "running" shoes were my asics and I loved them so much that I bought a second pair that was exactly the same to wear to work everyday in the bakery.  Best decision ever!  I am looking forward to getting a new pair in the near future here so that I can start training for another half marathon with a goal to run a full marathon sometime in the next year (2012).  We'll see how that goes.  Anyways here's a pic of my go to shoe for comfort and exercise.

Shoe #2 are my Blowfish flats.  I love them and wear them all the time!  They are so comfortable and I like to think I am being a tiny bit stylish when I wear them.  At least my feet will have style if nothing else I wear does!

Shoe #3 is the flip flops that I would die without in the summer and I cry when I have to stop wearing them once winter comes.  I have had 3 different pairs of Crocs flip flops and they last forever and are sooooo comfy!  I think I will upgrade this next summer though and get one of the new styles that don't look quite so geeky to wear! :)  My original pair were the black and red ones in the picture below.  I did get a little better with my next pick and got solid black ones that didn't stand out so much.  I can be cool...if I try!

I also have my go to "sexy" shoes! lol  Before I was a Mom I used to wear these or a pair just like them every Sunday.  When I got pregnant with Maitland the last four months or so I had some really bad swelling and couldn't wear any of my fun shoes anymore.  I have yet to get them back on my feet and I am sure they miss me.  I just don't feel like any of my current "mommy" outfits that fit will do justice to my "sexy" shoes.  So I don't wear them.  Hopefully once I get back into training I will be able to get my confindence back a bit and be able to wear all my fun shoes again.  Here's a picture that is almost of my favorite stilettos (I couldn't find the exact ones...but this is pretty dang close).  Oh how I miss them.

Onwards and upwards...

The question of the day is your favorite quote...  this just happens to be mine set to music!

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. 

Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. 

It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. 

We ask ourselves, 'Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?

Actually, who are you not to be? 

You are a child of God. 

Your playing small does not serve the world. 

There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people 

won't feel insecure around you. 

We are all meant to shine, as children do. 

We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. 

It is not just in some of us; it is in everyone. 

And as we let our own light shine, 

we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. 

As we are liberated from our own fear, 

our presence automatically liberates others. 

~ Marianne Williamson~

This quote really makes me think about my own potential and my own contribution to others potential.  Am I allowing myself to be everything I have the possibility of being?  Am I allowing others the same opportunity?  Or am I the one saying "that's impossible, there is no way you can achieve that goal.  Dream smaller."  I always want to be the positive voice.  Work hard, stay focused and be willing to sacrifice and you can succeed in anything.