Now more 2006... will it ever end?

2006 was one of those years that you're glad is over, but at the same time so many things happened that you don't really want to remember, but you don't really want to forget either so I'm kind of going to do a year in review sort of thingy. Here goes....

JANUARY

Hockey, Hockey, Hockey and more hockey! The Lightning had a blast at tournament even though it ended with me and a horrible sinus infection, and the start of W.'s lung thing. Alos, I think that was the month where W. lost his Grandma and a favorite cousin all in one week. It was a great month and a horrible month all in one. Dad and Grandma both had birthdays.

FEBRUARY

I turned the big 30 with a great birthday party planned for me by my fave cousin! Played a lot more hockey and tried to get over that nasty infection.

MARCH

I got to play in the Masters tournament! Fun, fun, fun. We only won one game but we had a good time. W. had his work hockey tournament and we BOUGHT OUR HOUSE!!!! It was still just a hole in the ground, but it was our hole in the ground! A stressful couple of days and some quick decisions but so exciting! Went to the CMHA convention in Edmonton - a fun ladies road trip and a very horsey weekend.

APRIL

April was Grandpa's birthday party and that's about it. I think that we just watched the house grow and started riding.

MAY

VEGAS BABY! W. and I headed for Las Vegas for the first time with his hockey team. We had a blast! It was our only holiday of the year and we made the most of it. May was also Mom's birthday.

JUNE

June brought our annual Ladies Clinic - riding, friends, food and wine! A great time for all. June was also W.'s 30th Birthday. We had a big party for him in his parents backyard and he played some ball that weekend too.

JULY

This was the month where W's lung problems escalated. We spent some time in a few different hospitals for tests. We also managed to get in a nice weekend of camping, just the two of us too. We found out that W. has cancer and that he's going to need surgery soon.

AUGUST

We headed down to Washington State for the C-Fair horse show, which was a blast! It was a little stressful being so far away and not knowing if W. was going to have to go for surgery right away. This was the only show I made it to this year, and it was a good one. We place in 4 of 6 classes and won one! Our first US show was a success! The rest of the month was a lot of waiting and wondering when W would have the surgery. We were also trying to find out whether we could move into the new place a month early. We also lost Tucker in August which made a very sucky month even sadder.

SEPTEMBER

Sept 1 was W.s surgery. He had 2/3 of his right lung removed and was in the hospital for 8 days. It was a pretty stressful time, but they got all the tumor out and it hadn't spread at all, so he pulled through really well. He was off work for the rest of September, recovering at home. He's doing awsome now - no remaining effects at all! September was also the start of a new season of hockey for me, and for our local CHL team. We have season tickets and go to all the games. This was also our 2nd wedding anniversary.

OCTOBER

We moved in at the end of this month! October was full of house stuff, furniture buying and meeting with lawyers etc. W. started back to work 1/2 time in the middle of the month and did well. We had a big moving party and were in the new house all in one day! It's gorgeous and wonderful and we are so happy there! Our Alberta friends were in town and we did a beautiful fall trail ride.

NOVEMBER

W. is back to work full time and hockey carries on. November was a busy month for me at work. W. starts playing hockey again! Things are right back to normal now. I played a lot of hockey and we had a tournament and the first Christmas event! I love Christmas! We also found our new kitten this month! She's made herself at home with us and we love her!

DECEMBER

More hockey, Christmas decorating and shopping filled December. W. lost another family member this month, one of his close Aunts passed away suddenly. I got stuck out of town for work due to some crazy wind and snow and wasn't able to get home for the service. We had a great Christmas with all of our families and had a well deserved week off between Christmas and New Years. Not enough time though! We need a vacation!!!

So that's 2006. Here's to hoping for a happy, healthy and fun 2007!

We Wish You a Merry Christmas

Today is Thursday and Thursday means Love. Today I'm loving that it's my last day of work and then it's 11 whole days of holidays! WOO! It's been a very long time since I've had a whole week of holidays (that wasn't spent in the hospital), since last Christmas I think. I woke up this morning and thought to myself, I can sleep in for 11 days in a row! WOO-EEE

I'm gonna sleep in, eat lots of yummy food and IMMERSE myself in Christmassyness!!!!

I almost blew away

Oh my freaking goodness! When did the WEEK BEFORE CHRISTMAS get here? I swear, every year time seems to fly by faster and faster. It hardly seems like December's even started, and then, Oh, Hello Christmas. GO AWAY I'M NOT READY FOR YOU YET!

I am so not ready. I have gifts left to buy, I have baking left to do (although keeping in tune with my getting in shape (ha ha ha) strategy, I don't intend to do much baking.

Also, being stranded in the big city for work last week didn't help much. I did manage to start my Christmas shopping, but I wasted a whole night in an airport hotel (a lovely, posh one, mind you) while i waited for the hurricane to cease.

Unfortunately this delay made me miss the funeral of W.'s aunt, which was quite upsetting for me. I had to go to these meetings for work, so I wasn't able to be there for any of it. Part of me is ok with that, but part of me would liked to have at least been there.

She was a lovely lady, although with her problems like anyone else, and she will be missed.

Hey! It's Thursday...

And we all know that Thursday is for love. So today my love is for Christmas! There is nothing that makes me happier than when Christmas rolls around. Oh, I know it's stressful with all the rushing and the people and the buying and everything. But it just all seems to go away when I see a Christmas Tree, or some Christmas lights, or even hear a Christmas song.

It's an automatic smile on my face when I drive by a house that someone has lit up and decorated. I love wandering through the aisles of Christmas decorations, and it's ALL I can do to wait until December to dress my house in all it's Christmassy glory.

I must admit, this year I didn't make it :) I've had lights up outside since the beginning of the month, and the decorations inside are going up THIS WEEKEND! WOO! I'll wait for my tree for a couple more weeks though... I always have a real tree, the artificial ones just aren't the same.

I LOVE CHRISTMAS!!!

"Tis the Season to be Jolly...

Fa La La La La, La La La La....

Is Christmas really only a month and a bit away? It's hard to believe it's coming around already. I mean, I know it's coming, and I've even done some Christmassy things. I've bought a few gifts, done a little decorating, gone out to some Christmassy events. But really, I think, if I counted right, it's only 33 days away!

Of that 33 days I have 12 days that I have hockey, 10 days that W. has hockey, 7 days where we have to go watch hockey. Obviously, some of those all fall on the same day, but seriously, 27 hockey games in the next 33 days? WHEN AM I GOING TO GET READY FOR CHRISTMAS???? No really, when?

I have 14 people still left to buy Christmas gifts for, a Christmas movie night to plan, baking to do, decorating to get done, Christmas trees to cut down. Not to mention that we still haven't finished unpacking the new house.

Woo-ee, December is going be one fun month. Good thing I just made a new batch of wine. I think I'm going to need it.