Wow it's been a long time since I blogged. I guess I just needed a break. So hmm well I guess I should talk about the cruise. It was fabulous and we enjoyed it immensely but I will say that we learned some things being a first cruise and if we ever do a cruise again there are a few things that we would do differently.
For starters we booked an inside room with the reasoning of how much time do you spend in your room anyway. It's mainly just for sleeping. Well once you get into your room, with no lights on you are in the pitch black and have no idea as to time or anything. So next time I would get an outside room and a balcony. The scenery was gorgeous of course and the weather for Alaska was considered good as it wasn't raining for the most part but let me tell you it was bloody cold. We did have a great time and I'll post some pictures soon to add to this post.
Then in August my brother and neice came out from Quebec and stayed for two weeks. That was a good to see them and good for Gabrielle to make the trip out now that she's older. She and Steve had a really good time and are going to try and make it back this year too. I don't know if Steve would ever move back to BC but as Gabrielle gets older (she's 13 now) and she loves it out here, she may decide to do University out here and if she did I am pretty sure Steve would come home to live.
The girls and I took a weekend away this fall and went just an hour up the highway to a little town called Hope. It is surrounded by mountains and beside the Fraser River and is a pretty little place. We found a motel along the highway and went in and asked the guy what he had and would he take our little dogs too and he took us and showed us this cabin with two bedrooms, three bathrooms, a full kitchen and dining room and living room plus a front door and back door that led to our own little driveway and the crowning glory was a woodburning fireplace. All for the grand price of $119.00 including the two dogs and unlimited wood for the fireplace. We had a blast! We went and walked the Othello Tunnels and took a ton of pictures. We are planning on staying there again for a few more days and doing a bit more of the touristy thing.
Work has been busy and when last I left you, the office was being moved while I was on holidays. Well they did manage to break my computer so I came back to a new office and a brand new computer. Then due to "unexpected circumstances" I had to spend three months driving my boss around and so was very very busy at work but that has ended now and I am now back to a more slowed down work week.
I went in November and got my flu shot and my doc was not happy with me because I haven't been in for a year for bloodwork and counts and I told him I would come in and get it done. I haven't yet but will in the New Year. I've not been feeling great the last few weeks but I have not been eating properly and eating lots of junk food which is never good. So I guess that is my New Years resolution, to eat better and take better care of myself.
I am off work until the 5th so have been enjoying that alot. On Sunday night my Mom took us (my brother and his wife, me, my 3 sons and two of their girlfriends) all to the River Rock for dinner as her Christmas gift to us all. It was fun, food was good and we all went down to the casino and gambled for a few hours before heading home. In our group Mom was up $90, one son was up $100 and the other up just under a $100 the rest of us spent $20 0r $30 and we were all happy when we left. Then yesterday my youngest son got a call from them and he had won a thousand dollars in the daily draw contest thingy they have going right now. So he was very happy.
I have been reading alot because I found a good series I hadn't read yet. Diana Gabaldon's Outlander series has been keeping me very interested. I am on book 4 right now and have the other two books lined up just waiting to be read. I've also been sewing again. Lynnie taught us how to quilt so I am making a quilt as well as a few new doggie jackets. My easel is set up at the window and I am going to be using it as well. I got a bike this summer and Lynnie and I have been riding the dikes around the valley. I even have a system rigged up for Lacey so she can come with us. I have a light backpack that I can put on backwards (so in the front) and I put Lacey in there when we come to roads or whatever and then when danger is passed I can take her out and let her run along with us. It worked not too badly but a real doggie carrier was $30 and I refuse to pay that. Then I was in WalMart just before Christmas and found a doggy carrier that will work perfect. So when the weather warms up and the snow goes away we'll give it a try.
We (the girls, Jude and Lynne) are going to be going to the island this spring to stay in Uklulet for a long weekend and my son and his girlfriend and granddaughter have plans for camping on Long Beach this summer. The girls and I are planning our next trip for April of 2010 after the Olympics are over and it will be someplace warm. Right now we are sort of thinking about Costa Rica because Jude has a sister in law that is from there with lots of family to give us hints on where to go and what to see etc. Well that's all I can think of at the moment.
