It is finished.  As luck would have it, my CF died today after i took these photos.  I was stunned!  I was soooo close to finishing!  I spend hours trying to recover my images without having to buy recovery software and this is the final product: a smaller image, but an image nonetheless.   (I had to screenshot a preview, so sad…!)  I was so miffed and pre occupied that i left Kona outside for a good half hour.  In the dark.  In the cold.  SORRY KONA!!

THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR YOUR LOVE AND SUPPORT THIS YEAR!!  Especially Rockstar who always had to hear me lament for 365 days straight that I NEEDED TO TAKE MY PHOTO OF THE DAY!  He took it well and was always very supportive and a willing participant when i needed him.  I love you Rockstar!

I learned a lot this year…  I’ve learned that friends, family , PEOPLE and God are more important than anything else in the world…even though it’s hard not to think that it’s all about our jobs, making more money, having a bigger house, etc.  I need to remind myself that everyday.    I’m already blessed with so much.  So as the holy spirit speaks to me and Rockstar this year, i hope to share more, sacrifice more and love more deeply!   But for now, all i can think of is…I’m done!  I’m done I’m done I’m done!

So onto other endeavours this year…not sure what that will be yet.  But for now, with this behind me, i’m a little more confident of my keeping commitments and reaching ahead for attainable goals. =)

Happy fall.  =)

Rockstar and I have a tiny 25 foot lot so the backyard is basically a patch of grass.  So imagine Kona’s delight when we enter Clifton’s gargantuan backyard.  It’s like an off-leash park in itself.  She just tore it up like i’ve never seen before.  Go Kona go!

Rockstar’s cousin (probably one of the nicest and most hospitable persons i know) had us up in Edmonton for thanksgiving weekend.  He made a roast, turkey, mashed potatoes and even invited cousins from my side of the family to come!  Thanks Cliff!  It was a day of perpetual eating: turkey, roast, mash, turkey, pie, turkey, chips, etc…We rounded off the evening playing pictionary.  How do you draw: Panama Canal?!

PS – even though we only stayed up until 1am, i was bushed!  I looked rough, so no self portrait tonight!  But i did take a pic of my evolving makeup regime, now with age i have to concentrate more on covering up those dark circles under my eyes!  Bobbi Brown under eye concealer is pretty good.  I recommend buying your makeup from Sephora though.  If you buy the wrong shade or if it looks different at home than in the store, you can just return it.  I bought my makeup from Holt Refrew though so there’s no such policy so once you open it, it’s yours.

A group of us girls went out to Charcut tonight for dinner.  Cla and I were the only non-mothers out of the group, so these girls nights out are becoming fewer and father between.  The evening was loads of fun and sadly almost novel!  Highly recommend the restaurant, the decor/feel is like a higher-end Montanas.  We had the steak and it’s perfect for me because they cut it up for me.  Yes, i’m a lazy eater.   We laughed our faces off a portion of the night, we were probably the loudest table in the house, and we weren’t even drinking. =)

Inspired by someone’s photo on deviant art!  (Can’t take credit for it!)  It’s been raining for two days straight and as I was going dress shopping with Carrots for Charita’s wedding she complained to me that should could never live in Vancouver, the rain’s too depressing.  I don’t seem to mind it too much if you’re outfitted properly with the cute golashes and birdcage umbrella, but we both concurred that it’s awful for dog owners.  Yesterday when i let Kona out she ended up tracking paw prints all up and down our hardwood.

Oh, and the rain also explains why i didn’t venture out today but opted to take this photo from my office cube. =)

Had Squish over tonight with her baby girl.  She’s so cute!  I told Cla i had them over and she’s like, “You mean Mini-James?”  She looks like a cookie cuter image of her father.  It was good to see Squish, she’s such a natural easy going mother.  She’s doing so much to keep active!  Did you know there’s yoga classes where you use your baby as a weight, a stroller work out class where you run and push your stroller/baby around the park, and Stars and Babies time slots at the movie theatres?  It’s incredible!  Squish was also telling me baby accessories aren’t cheap – did you know that a chariot stroller (a stroller apparatus you affix with various attachements so that you can pull it behind a bike or push it whilst running, etc.) costs $800?!  I was flabbergasted!  Also because i’ve seen vagabonds in our alley collect bottles from our recycling bins with chariots.  Ballers.

Oh my goodness, i can’t believe I’m a week away from finishing!!  =)   I still want to photo document the coming year, there’s so much to look forward to!

Rockstar and I are keeping decently busy, we’ve attended two high school youth groups so far, and so far so good.  We did a survey for the kids and it’s encouraging to see that a lot of them want to deepen their relationship with God.  So, we’re introducing the study Experiencing God.  And with any relationship you need to put effort into spending time and knowing that person so i hope they’re ok with committing a decent chunk of time delving into this workbook.  But it should be worth it, right?  To EXPERIENCE God?!  Totally!

I had Karen Carpenter’s song in my head all morning, “…hanging around, nothing to do but frown, rainy days and Monday’s always get me down.”  I wasn’t down.  I like melancholic songs though.  And even though it’s a cold and misty Monday morning, I’m very easily persuaded by coffee to turn any cold cloudy day into sheer happiness.   Rockstar and I both agree that when we get into the office and have our first sip of coffee, it’s bar none one of the best moments of the day.  Don’t you agree?!

PS – i’m wearing loads of makeup and seriously, a photograph strips it all away!