A sign from Santa??

This morning, Nana called Jonah to give him some exciting news. My mom saw a reindeer beside her car this morning as she left for work. She thought it would be fun to give Jonah a call to tell him that Santa must be nearby!

"Hi Nana!"















Listening intently to what Nana has to say.....

......could it be true??














*SHOCK* A REINDEER??


















So the talk of the morning at our house before school was...

* Do you think Santa is close?
* Can we go to Nanas to see the reindeer?
* Do you think it will fly to Ajax?
* Can I tell my friends at school?
* How many more sleeps till Santa comes?
* Can Nana tell the reindeer to tell Santa that I really want Mario Kart?

I have 2 more months of this.....gotta love the excitement of a little boy.

6 Random Things

The Rules:
1. Link to the person who tagged you (Menjiness tagged me).
2. Post the rules on your blog (this is what you are now reading).
3. List 6 random things about yourself.
4. Tag 6 people at the end of your post.
5. Let each person know they have been tagged and leave a comment on their blog.
6. Let the tagger know when your entry is up.!

Ok. Now that we have THAT out of the way...
The Randomness:

1. I have 4 tattoos - My first tattoo on my right side above my hip is a Claddagh. My left wrist is a celtic aquarius symbol. Sean has the same one in the same spot to symbolize Jonah. My lower back has a very unique tiger butterfly and my right foot has script writing that says "Faith, Hope, Charity".
2. I cannot scrapbook or do anything that involves a lot of thought in bare feet. If I can "feel" my feet, I get distracted. So even in the summer, I will bring socks to my crops.
3. I have a huge fear of airplanes. Ironically, I would love to go skydiving. I have no problem jumping out of the plane, just getting in it! Sean was actually going to propose to me on the flight to our cruise, but when he saw the fear in me, he didnt want that to be the memory!
4. I am currently enrolled in a fantastic class on Feeling Scrappy called Sketchapalooza to get over my ridiculous (and unexplainable) fear of sketches!
5. I once entered a contest to win Elton John Tickets in London England. If I was chosen to complete, I would have had to shave my head and colour my head green and keep it like that for a month. I wasn't chosen.
6. I once swam with Dolphins in St. Thomas (I think) and it was the most amazing experience!

Now I tag Lee, Becky, Cyn, Brynn, Jane, Carrie, get going ladies :)

One Year Ago

One year ago today, I was in the hospital.

You may wonder why I would remember this exact date, but it is stamped in my brain because it was such an emotional situation for me. I was having surgery to remove a mass out of my uterus. A mass that was 4 inches in size, a mass that they thought may be a tumor, a mass that could cause me to have a hysterectomy, the mass that caused my miscarriage a few months earlier. On the day of surgery, this mass.......was not there.


How could that be?? I saw it myself on the pre-surgery ultrasound.

To take you back, this is what happened......

Around May of 2007, I was having "woman issues" and went to the doctor to have it checked out. They did an internal ultrasound and told me if they found anything, they would give me a call. No call came, but my symptoms continued to get worse. In July I received a call from my doctor. He apologized that no one got back to me as he had been off himself due to surgery. He was saving his son's life by donating his kidney. I was told there was a very small "lump" in my uterus and I needed to go for another test. I did the test and it showed that the lump was bigger. While having this test, I was asked repeatedly if I was pregnant. I said no because I honestly didn't know that I was pregnant at the time. My body was so messed up there was no way to track. I was in no way regular at the time. I was sent to see a specialist as they were concerned that the lump was getting bigger so quickly. After the second test, they started referring to it as a "mass" and "potential tumor". While waiting to get into the specialist, I suffered a miscarriage. I was devastated, but for some reason felt like I couldn't show that feeling to my family, just because of everything else that was happening and because it happened the day after my friends wedding - where I had been drinking and dancing.

When I did get in to see the specialist, he told me that the pregnancy "didn't have a hope" with all that had been going on inside me. I was sent to another office to have another internal test. So I am now on my 3rd test, all different technicians. The lump was now 4 inches in size. I saw it myself on the screen, I KNOW it was there. I was scheduled for a uterus mapping and put on the priority list for surgery. I had to wait about 3 weeks after the uterus mapping. Finally surgery day approached. I was scared, I was worried, I had so many things running thru my mind. I was afraid it was cancer, I was given that impression with how things were being handled. My family was at the hospital with me, waiting. It was a long day. The doctor came out and said that they were behind schedule and that they had some earlier emergencies and that we may have to reschedule my surgery. I started to cry. I didn't have the emotional strength to wait and go thru the pre-op prep again. I said I would wait as long as I had to. Thankfully, my wonderful surgeon asked the nurses to stay later so he could do this surgery. So in I went.....

I woke up crying and very sore. My doctor said everything is ok and to rest. I was relieved that they had removed the mass.

After being in recovery, the doctor came back to talk to me now that my head was a little more clear. I was surprised when he told me that there was NO MASS! They went in to remove it and it was not there. There were 2 other small lumps that they removed, they took a piece of my uterus out to test for cancer cells and they performed a D&C because of my miscarriage. But no 4 inch mass. Gone. Vanished.

At first I thought, ok, they made a mistake on the ultrasound. But I had tests done at 3 different facilities. I saw it myself with my own eyes! It was not a cyst because those show up as a bubble. This was a mass. A 4 inch mass in my uterus that they were testing for cancer. And now it was gone.

What happened? Where did it go? Was it a medical error? Was it a miracle?

Whatever it may be, I am thankful that it was not cancer. The tests came back 6 weeks later and showed the lumps were benign. Thank God! I went back for an ultrasound, no mass. Thank God again! I don't know what happened, but I know it is no longer there. I can let go off all the bad feelings, bad thoughts, worries. I could finally sleep!

So that is my story on why this date is always on my mind. It was a date that potentially could have changed my whole life. In a way, it did change my life. For the better.

I've Been Featured!

A couple of weeks ago, I received a very sweet email from Jayne of Feeling Scrappy asking me to be the first featured scrapper on her new website!
Isn't that exciting?? I was beyond honoured!
I have come a long way in my scrapping technique and am still trying to find my confidence with it. Being asked to be the featured scrapper has boosted that confidence. The comments people have left on the post are so very sweet and greatly appreciated.
Jaynes site shows a picture of me with my hubby Sean and my sweet Jonah, an interview with me and 2 of my favorite layouts.

I am very proud!!

Here is the site if you want to check it out: http://feelingscrappyclasses.blogspot.com

Thanks again to Jayne for the honour and for introducing me to the wonderful people at Feeling Scrappy.

Politics

For the thrid time in a row, we have a minority government. This does not surprise me since only 59% of us voted!! 59%!! That is horrendous. Here is my take on this - if you don't vote, then shut up. Plain and simple. Everyday I hear of someone complaining about our government. When I ask, did you vote? The answer, 90% of the time is No or there was no point. uh...hello? How do you expect it to change if you don't speak up??
We had 41% NOT vote. That could have made a change. A big change. Perhaps a change that everyone is crying about.

My friends in the US are still going thru their campaigns - man, that must be painful. They only have 2 to choose from. You are either Republican or Democrat. The US campaign, in my opinion, has become a circus. Is McCain too old? Is Obama a muslim? Let's get to the things that matter! Will the candidate you vote for embody the values you are looking for? What is their platform about? Will they address the issues that are important - health care, economy, the war??

Harvard University conducted an interesting study that they are NOT allowed to publish. Luckily newspapers can report on it!
It had 2 portfolios - 1 was the Republican platform, the other Democrat. The portfolios were not titled, they were unnamed, so those participating in the study did not know which belonged to each candidate. For this study, you had to indicate what you were voting before reading the platform. Then they read the portfolios and selected which one would be the one they are voting for, based on what was in their platform.
This is the shocking part - 72% of those who said they were voting Republican selected the DEMOCRAT portfolio!! 21% of those who said Democrat, selected REPUBLICAN!!

What does this mean?? I think people get caught up in what they are "supposed" to vote and don't actually choose for themselves. This is sad!

So here is my 2 cents for my US friends......

1) Please learn from our last election - GET OUT AND VOTE!!

2) KNOW your candidate. Do not choose someone that you do not believe in. Do not choose someone because they will be the first black president. Do not choose someone because they picked a female VP. Do not vote based on race. Do not vote based on sex. Vote with your gut and heart.

Good luck to my friends south of the border. I hope the circus will be over for you soon!

9 Hours

There are a lot of things you can do in 9 hours:

Complete all the laundry

Clean the house

Clean out the garden in the backyard

Pack away summer furniture to prepare for winter

We could have hopped in the car and drove to Boston!

This sunday, we didn't use 9 hours to do any of that.

Instead, we stayed in our jammies, didn't answer the phone, didn't answer the door. Sean, Jonah and I got under the blankets and we played this game - Super Mario Galaxy - for the very first time. Needless to say, we LOVED it! Jonah thought it was so much fun to stay in our jammies and just play the game. We all took turns and laughed the whole day. We play for 9 hours!

So yes, the laundry is still piled up and yes some things should be cleaned up, but those 9 hours of laughter, smiles, giggles and family fun time was just not worth giving up.

Today, not Tomorrow

In the days of the World Wide Internet, there are millions and millions of places we can visit. Being an avid scrapbooker, I belong to a few online scrapbook communities. It is a place to learn techniques, chat, learn about yourself as well as others. You sometimes become very good friends with these cyber acquaintences, sometimes not. But when something tragic happens in the online community, the outpour of love and support is overwhelming - sometimes unbelievable. This week, I saw it happen firsthand.

A fellow scrapper experienced a tragedy this week that no parent should ever have to endure.
Her young son, all of 5 years old woke up sick, throwing up and dizzy. His mom knew something was wrong and took him to critical care. It was found that her young son had a 4cm tumor on his brain stem. He made it thru the surgery, but sadly did not wake up from the coma. He was declared brain dead and was pronounced yesterday with his family at his side. I cannot fathom what this family is going thru.

He was five years old. Only five.
His name was Danny.
Jonah is five years old, same age as Danny.

When I found out, I went upstairs to Jonah's room and lied in his bed with him while he slept. I wrapped my arms around him, caressed his sweet face and watched every breath he took.

My heart breaks for this family that I have never met. I only know Donnann thru the online community and admiring her works of art. Still, I hurt for my cyber friend and her family.

Our little community on the web will be releasing a red balloon in the air from their hometowns at the start of Danny's service. There will be balloons floating all over the world for Danny. He loved the color red because Speed McQueen of Cars was his favorite.
And there will absolutely be a red balloon floating thru the sky in Ajax Canada.

The messages of love, support for Donnann are never ending. Blogs bearing Danny's picture, Status messages reflecting the condolences, people contributing to a fund set up in Danny's name. The outpour from all over the world - amazing to me. I hope that this brings Donnann and her family some kind of comfort. They are in my thoughts.

Remember, appreciate life today, not tomorrow. Love today, not tomorrow. Laugh today, not tomorrow. Do everything today, not tomorrow.

Today, not tomorrow.......

Thanksgiving Tradition

It has become a tradition at Thanksgiving that Jonah and Nana create the centerpiece for the dinner table. We walk thru local greenspaces and pick out some beautifully coloured leaves, wild flowers and pine cones. We make sure we get something of every colour.

Here are some photos of our leaf collection:

The finished product.

Our family picture - my parents, my sister, my nephews, friend of the family, my family and of course, my sisters puppy Zeus.
Hope everyone had a great long weekend!

FS Challenge - Christian Bernard

A few blogs ago I mentioned Feeling Scrappy. They just launched their new site and also their first challenge! They are ramping up for their upcoming class, Sketchapalooza II, so it was fitting to post a sketch challenge! The sketch is by Amy Bell, who is just so talented. The challenge can be found here.

They also offered a prize that international scrappers (like me) are qualified for: Sketchapalooza Class for FREE!

Here is my layout based on the sketch. I featured the newest addition to my extended family. My very good friends Sheri and Peter welcomed their first child, a son, named Christian. He is beautiful, precious, a true blessing and thankfully, very healthy. I hope they like this layout as much as I enjoyed creating it.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Today is Thanksgiving Day in Canada. I want to wish all my friends and family a very happy Thankgiving. Take the time and express the things you are thankful for. With all the tragedy, hurt, hunger, devastation going on in this world - take that moment to step back and look at what you have. Embrace it, love it, LIVE it. Be Thankful for it.

Much love to everyone. Enjoy your day!

A great way to spend a Saturday

Jonah has always found it interesting that I have friends who "live in my computer" and although I know he doesn't really understand, it is cute to have him look at me in amazement when I tell him that I am "talking" to them. The joys of a 5 year old mind.

Yesterday I told Jonah that we were driving out to another town to meet Mommy's friend Lee and her family. Jonah was quick to ask "Isn't she the one who lives in your computer???", eyes wide open. I said, "Yep! That's her!". He couldn't wait.

You would think by now I have learned my lesson to not tell Jonah things until 5 minutes before it happens, because all I hear is "Are we going now?", "Is it time to go?", "How much longer??".

I have been to Lee's house two other times, I have met her lovely family. But this was the first time Sean was meeting the whole gang. After being disappointed or screwed from meeting other people, he was hesitant. But once we got there, he was put at ease, and I knew he would be.
Lee and her husband Louis are gracious, very real people. No holds barred with them. No need to sugar coat, it is what it is. And that is what I love about them.

Jonah had fun playing in the "castle" and got along well with the kids. Sometimes it is hard with children, they butt heads or just have conflicting personalities, but not this gang! They had fun together and there was no arguing! Jonah didn't want to leave and can't wait to go back. Louis firmly secured a place in Jonah's heart by giving him a truck "just like Papa drives!" and he has not stopped playing with it!

We enjoyed many hours of laughs, chatter, even talking about taboo subjects - politics and religion! And even though we are polar opposites, the conversation flowed and we had a great time. Lee and Louis made us a fantastic roast dinner, we were stuffed!

We had a fantastic time and like all good things do, it had to come to an end. We look forward to our next gathering!

Thanks Lee, Louis and all the Cs, for a fantastic time!

Excitement at Wal-Mart

A few Saturdays ago, I needed to go to Wal-mart. Now I have to say, I HATE going to Wal-mart, especially on a weekend! And I had to take Jonah with me. Even HE didn't want to go!

But we were pleasantly surprised when we pulled up to see a bunch of racing flags hanging around. Of course, Jonah wanted to check it out. Jonah was thrilled to see a "real live race car!"

They were showcasing the racers for Pennzoil. Jonah met David Elliott who is the race car driver. It was like a dream come true for him!

But the kicker was....I didn't have my frickin camera!! I carry my camera EVERYWHERE! But I had taken it out of my purse to download some pics and didnt put it back. I happened to say to one of the fellas there that I forgot my camera. He asked if he could take a picture of Jonah IN the car and put it on his website! Jonah....IN the car...INSIDE a racecar! I don't know who was more excited. Of course I said yes! Jonah already had his foot inside the window! LOL.

David Elliott came over to talk to Jonah and gave him an autographed photo as well.

Jonah's day was made! I don't think I will have a problem getting him to Wal-mart anymore!

Here is the picture of Jonah in the racecar:

Because sometimes we need to laugh

Yesterday was one of those days when things are going good, then something rains on your parade. We had to sink $800 - that we dont have- into Sean's truck. Ugh.

Today, I woke up not feeling well, very blah and dealing with some issues at work. And its not even 9am!

So, what can I do? LAUGH! And this video ALWAYS makes me laugh.

Hope you are having a good day.

I Finally Caved In

Yep, I did it. I finally caved in. Flicked the switch, I did. It happened yesterday. I've learned to accept that......I TURNED THE FURNANCE ON!!! ARGH!

It has always been a rule in my house - which I got from my parents - that the furnace did not go on until mid October. If you were cold, get a sweater, get a blanket, get some slippers!

But Sunday it was CHILLY! Now, for those that know my husband Sean - who has zero % body fat and is 140 pounds soaking wet - he is ALWAYS cold. Jonah is so temperature resilient, he couldn't care less if it was 40 degrees above or below! But this felt like it was in our bones.

So I sucked it up.....walked over to the thermostat.....flicked it on.......walked away - flipping it off of course!

Keep warm!

New Changes at Feeling Scrappy!

My favourite scrapbooking site has undergone some great changes and I suggest you check them out!

As I have mentioned in previous posts, Feeling Scrappy offers amazing online classes with a talented design team. The next class is Sketchapalooza 2!

Check out this LINK and you can enter to win a prize! So what are you waiting for?? Get over there!

Quirks

I was tagged by Brynn to list 6 of my quirks and to tag others.

Here are the rules: Link the person who tagged you.
List 6 quirks of yours.
Tag 6 fellow bloggers to do the same.

1. I have to tell Sean to "be careful" everyday. If I miss him in the morning, I call him at work to tell him. I get that from my mom. She did the same to my Dad.

2. I can't feel my feet when I scrapbook. I have to wear something snug on my feet, not slippers, otherwise I get distracted.

3. I have to sit facing a particular direction anywhere I go. I will even ask someone to move if I have to. Politely of course.

4. I touch my nose A LOT. I didnt realize it until I got my nose pierced.

5. If there is anything hanging out of my sandwich, i.e cheese, I pick it off and dont eat it.

6. I cannot drink a glass of milk that has come from 2 bags. If the bag runs out, I put the poured milk into the fridge for someone else to drink. And get a new glass with the new milk.

Wow, and here I thought I would have a hard time! LOL. Thanks Brynn!

My turn to tag:
1. Lee
2. Brandi
3. Cyn
4. Jayne
5. Megan
6. Stacey