Email; Abbey & Meredith - Letter to God

I received an email the other day and wanted to pass it on. If you ever lost a pet as a child or if you are an animal lover than I'm sure you can relate to this story about Abbey and Meredith;

Our 14-year-old dog, Abbey, died last month. The day after she died, my 4-year-old daughter, Meredith, was crying and talking about how much she missed Abbey. She asked if we could write a letter to God so that when Abbey got to Heaven, God would recognize her. I told her that I thought we could so she dictated these words:

Dear God,
Will you please take care of my dog? She died yesterday and is with you in Heaven. I miss her very much. I am happy that you let me have her as my dog even though she got sick.I hope you will play with her. She likes to play with balls and to swim. I am sending a picture of her so when you see her, you will know that she is my dog. I really miss her.
Love, Meredith

We put the letter in an envelope with a picture of Abbey and Meredith and addressed it to 'God/Heaven'. We put our return address on it. Then Meredith pasted several stamps on the front of the envelope because she said it would take lots of stamps to get the letter all the way to Heaven.

That afternoon she dropped it into the letter box at the post office. A few days later, she asked if God had gotten the letter yet. I told her that I thought He had.

Yesterday, there was a package wrapped in gold paper on our front porch addressed to Meredith in an unfamiliar hand. Meredith opened it. Inside was a book by Mr. Rogers called, 'When a Pet Dies' Taped to the inside front cover was the letter we had written to God in its opened envelope. On the opposite page was the picture of Abbey & Meredith and this note:

Dear Meredith,
Abbey arrived safely in Heaven. Having the picture was a big help. I recognized Abbey right away. Abbey isn't sick anymore. Her spirit is here with me just like it stays in your heart. Abbey loved being your dog. Since we don't need our bodies in Heaven, I don't have any pockets to keep your picture in, so I am sending it back to you in this little book for you to keep and have something to remember Abbey by.

Thank you for the beautiful letter and thank your mother for helping you write it and send it to me. What a wonderful mother you have. I picked her especially for you.

I send my blessings every day and remember that I love you very much. By the way, I'm easy to find, I am wherever there is love.
Love, God

Intruder Alert!

Tonight there was quite the uproar in our Neighbourhood. A family came home this evening, and the 9 year old daughter which went upstairs came running back down saying that some guy was upstairs.

Within minutes there was 4 police cars and a K-9 Unit here searching the house and neighbourhood, but they couldn't find anyone in/around the house.

I'm telling you this because we don't live in a bad area, I don't normally hear of any crime, but it could happen anywhere. With everyone keeping the windows and even sometimes the doors (crazy people) open, it could happen anywhere.

Be sure to lock all accessable window and of course all your doors when you are not home. or even when your around the yard. Better to be safe than sorry (as my Mom always says).

Relief from the Heat!

Each summer we contemplate getting Central Air, but our weather is never that Hot, for that Long, that is seemed like something that was really necessary. Well right now with this record breaking Heat Wave we decided that we have had enough of toughing it out, and Chloe (being a short nose Breed) is having such a tough time of it, panting, and not eating!! So today we decided that we do not want to wait for one to get installed so a Portable A/C Unit will due for now.
Well as it turns out we are not the only people looking for an A/C Unit and I ended up spending a good part of an hour calling all over the Lower Mainland. Costco, Home Depot, Canadian Tire, Home Hardware, Rona, Sears everyone was Sold Out.

So we moved to Plan B; buy more fans, circulating air is better than stagnant air, right!! So off we all go for an escape from the heat into cooled A/C the car. Chloe loved the A/C and fell asleep right away!! Poor girl was exhausted from being so hot for so long!!

Our first stop was going to be Future Shop but instead we went to Sears, Richard walked in and right away heard a store announcement that they had one last Portable A/C Unit, and as he was telling them we wanted it 3 more customers came up to buy it too! And to think we almost missed the last unit, we are so greatfull for the relief from the heat!!


Now tomorrow I won't have to worry about Chloe overheating in the house, and instead I'm sure that she will be spending most of the day catching up on her beauty sleep!

Jenica's Wedding Ceremony & Reception

You have waited long enough for the best installment of Jenica's Wedding Festivities... the Ceremony and Reception.

Brooke, Laura and I (along with 3 more of Jenica's friends) made up the woman of Jenica's Bridal Party. The Wedding Ceremony and Reception were held at Whonnock Lake Community Hall, which is a beautiful location for an out door ceremony.

It was very nice day, and any signs of rain stayed away for the very special day! Here on the West Coast (or Wet Coast as some call it) an outdoor wedding is hit or miss if rain will stay away, but it did! We were all so thankful for that!



I now pronounce you Husband and Wife! You guys sure do make a beautifully hansom married couple.

While the Wedding Party was taking picture the guests enjoyed an outdoor Cocktail Party. What you can't see from the photos is the wooden pathway that we are all standing is the beginning of a large dock leading to the lake, which makes this location so beautiful.

First Dance, Mother-Daughter Dance, and of course the infamous circle dance. You know it wouldn't be a party without a girls circle dance, right! So fun!

Congratulations Mr. & Mrs. S...

Wishing you a lifetime of love and happiness!

Budget Buster!!

I don't normally use my Blog to complain, but recent news from our Government has me heated!

As I'm sure you all know by now, July 1st of next year that we are joining the other half of the Provinces in our Country with the new HST (Harmonized Sales Tax).

Harmonizing our current PST and GST, is is suppose to boost investments, increase our economic growth, and create jobs, but I just don't see it. On a consumer level all I can see is less money in our pocket for the same purchases we make now that are normally PST exempt.

At 12% they say we are going to have the lowest HST across Canada, and some purchases will still qualify for a lower tax, such as Kids Items & Clothes and Gasoline but that doesn't really make it any better for other items that we will see an increase too such as;

Groceries

Movies

Restaurant Meals

Used Vehicles

Hair Salons

School Supplies

Bikes

Safety Equipment

Gym Memberships

New Homes (over $400,000)

Some of the items are not everyday purchases, but we are all going to see our expenses increase, and tighter budgets for everyone!

At the end of the day I don't think that this is going to stop us from making our normal purchases, but it frustrates me that we will just have to spend more to do it.

Ok I feel a bit better just ranting about that for a bit, I'm off to bed!

Hot Hot Hot

Wowzers, it's a scorcher today!! I know I said 2 days ago that we have been amazingly great weather and we have, but us here on the West Coast are not use to this heat, and from the upcoming forcast it's going to get even more Hot. Looks like for this week that Wednesday is going to feel the hottest at 44 degrees, but Friday is going to register hotest on the Temometer at 36 degrees.

I've been trying to get a little gaget from The Weather Netork to stay on my blog so you can see what our weather is like, but can't quite figure it out. So you will just have to belive me for now.

Tomorrow I'm looking forward to the A/C at my office, even though I need to have a sweater on stand by cause it gets mighty COLD.

Hello from Georgia

We have spent the day and are staying the night at Georgia's House. We all enjoy each other company very much, us girls spent our day shopping for none other than Georgia, and working on stuff for the Baptism. The guys spent their time at the gym and doing some shopping of their own. And the dogs, Chloe and Ellie are non stop playing.


About a month ago Georgia started waving so today while at her house I tried to catch it on film, which turned out to be quite difficult.

Hello from Georgia!!

Thunderstorms

We have had some amazingly hot weather the last few weeks but, right now the Hot & Cold are mixing and were having a Summer Storm. There is something about storms that seem so very cozy! Listening the the rain hit the ground, or the rolls of the Thunder and watching the flash's of Lightning, it all brings back alot of great memories of my childhood.

Brooke and I would get very excited when we were really little when there was a Thunderstorm. My Mom would make us Hot Chocolate and Cookies and read us the same book every time.

I'm not 100% sure that this is the actual name of the book, cause I remember it to be something more like Hop'idees, or Thumper's First Thunderstorm, but all I could find online was this:
Buster's First Thunderstorm.



I will have to ask my Mom what the book was actually called, but considering that I couldn't find what I thought it was than Buster it probably what.

It's small little traditions like this that make a childhood memorable, and I plan on doing the same with my kids. (But I'm sure I can find a more "updated" version of Buster)

30 Days of Blogging... Day 10... Chloe & her Mama

Today is Day 10 of my 30 Days of Blogging, and I'm only 1/3 of the way though and already running out of brilliant things to blog about. So I went through Picasa to see if any ideas would come to mind and thought you might want to see some more of our little Chloe-bears!

To make this a bit more fun I tracked down only the pic's of Chloe & her Mama...

Considering that Chloe is almost 4 years old, and that these are almost all of the pictures of the 2 of us, it looks like I should be turning the camera more on myself.

I hope you have enjoyed seeing me and my baby over the years.

Jenica's Stagette

I promised pictures from Jenica's Wedding Festivities, so here is the first installment.... Stagette!!

We spent the day in Yaletown, first stop was a private party at Pure Nail Bar, where we were pampered while enjoying some Drinks and Appies.


Pure Nail Bar was very accommodating and because this was an after hours event they allow you to bring in your own Food, Drink and Music. For sure this is a definite must do, even just for a night out with a bunch of girls.

After the Spa we went for a Private Wine Tasting at Taylorwood Wines


The beauty of Yaletown other than the sights, the water, shopping, and nightlife is you can walk everywhere, and so we did, and most of the girls did it in 3" heels no less. But those smart cookies had a secret hidden in the their purses, flip flops which saved the night walking from one stop to the next.

We enjoyed dinner at Relish, a night out on the town, finished up at the Edgewater Casino, and Cabbed it back to the Hotel when the sun was rising.

I don't remember the last time I was out that late, but I guess that is one of rare advantages of having no kidlet's yet, well except Chloe (English Bulldog) she's our baby.

It was a night to remember!!

Blogathon 2009

When reading my Local Newspaper I came across this story for the 2009 Blogathon "Blogging for a good cause" and wanted to pass it on for all of you brave brave souls out there.

The Challenge: Blog every 30 minutes for 24 Hours

When: Friday July 25th @ 6:00am

The Purpose: Raise $$ for Charity

Blogathon has been going on since 2001 all across North America, and needless to say alot of people participate including Duane Storey who chose to raised $$ last year for Union Gospel Mission, and this years proceeds are going to the BC Childrens Hospital.

So if you want to have a reason to stay up late and blog blog blog for a good cause then here you go, I will be thinking about you while I sleep, haha. The 30 DAYS OF BLOGING challenge that I'm doing now is enough of a challenge for this Novice Blogger.

July 22.09 - Post edited to correct Charity Name

Georgia's Baptisim Prep.

Georgia's Baptism is coming up quickly and Brooke and I have been busy working on stuff we LOVE to do. That is anything that has to do with planning an event!

The Invitations have been sent out for a while now, and her gown, hat, coat and favors are on order. Today we almost finished all of the Witness Pins, one for each of the 100 guests that will be there to witness's the Baptism.

But there is still alot of work ahead of us... Baskets for pins, and Georgia's keepsakes, candles, guest book, centre pieces, cake.... oh and then there are purchases that need to be made... shoes, socks, robe, blanket, and what she will be wearing before the Baptism, I'm sure this list will just get longer as the day gets closer.

I wish I could show you the picture of the Gown, but I'm sure Brooke would prefer everyone to see it on Georgia and not on my Blog, so I will refrain, but promise that the wait will be worth it.


Ok I'm off to make lunches, then to bed.
Until tomorrow

*N

Past days... why I've been away from Blogging

This weekend has been a tough one for me and my family. I have come to the realization that in life there is death, and at some time in all of our lives our time on Earth will end, and we will be in a better place with our Father in Heaven.

I have been lucky in that I have never lost someone close to me, but we are all getting older, as is my Grandmother. Having to think about the possibility of saying Good Bye to someone who I love has been very difficult for me.

Over the last few days her health has been in question, and we won't know any more details until some test results come back. I would like to hope that it might be a 'bug' of some sort, or a reaction to a change in medication, but nothing is known as of yet.

So in the meantime I will continue to show my Grandma how much she means to me..... and pray.

Johnny's Update

"I cannot believe what happened today!

This wasn't supposed to happen,

they told me that this wouldn't happen...

it is amazing that it happened...

I am enjoying every minute!"

This was Johnny's wife Britt's Facebook status update today. There has really been a miracle today, with Johnny realizing where he is and talking, on the phone no less!! He has been moved from a 4 on the Coma scale to a 12 yesterday and a 14 today (3 being the worst, 15 being the state that we all are in), and now the healing has to continue for his head injury, and of course broken bones & neck.

He is still in the Kamloops Hospital and I don't know when he will be transferred closer to home here in the Lower Mainland, but when he does he will have many many friends that will be wanting to pay him a visit.

On Saturday there is a ATV Ride fundraiser for Johnny at Larson Hill "Ride for JohnnyKTM" which I am very excited to go to. I can't wait to show my support for this family, and get to talk to Britt.

On behalf of the family thank you for your prayers, keep them coming!

Golden Ears Bridge

I have had a few opportunities to drive over the new Golden Ears Bridge since it opened on June 17th, thanks to having a investment property on the "other side", and it saves me about 40 min. travel time and for that I'm so thankful!! The time savings almost makes the 3 years wait for construction worth it.

For those of you that don't live locally or haven't had a chance to take the drive here are some pictures that I have taken of the bridge and the new roadways. Exciting, haha I know but it really is a nice bridge.

If you have not been on the new bridge I would do it quickly cause after this Friday you will charged a Toll to pay off the $1Billion Construction Bill.

30 Days of Blogging.... Day 1

Georgia and her Auntie!!

I know you haven't had an updated picture of Georgia in a while, so here is one of us from a this weekend. She is 7 months old now and is so fun, loves to hear her own voice and talks up a storm, and her laugh is cutest!


I know I have been promising pictures of many many things, and I will follow through. Especially of Jenica Wedding, they are to come PROMISE!

Richard's Birthday

Today is Richard's Birthday! I'm not sure what we will be doing tonight to celebrate, other than him opening his gifts from me, maybe we will go out for dinner or watch a movie. If you don't know Rich personally then you wouldn't know that he is a big movie guy (we have the DVD's to prove it!!), and is up to watching anything. Don't tell anyone but on occasion has been known to watch a "chick-flick" or two even without me (hehe, love ya babe).

This Saturday he is spending the day with the "Guys" to celebrate his Birthday, so I will be enjoying my evening alone with him tonight!

Happy Birthday!!! Love you bunches!!

I would have liked to post a pic of just him, but this is all that I have at my office. Which reminds me I better get back to doing work so I can try to leave early!