merry christmas eve

Tonight I am full of Christmas spirit and am sending it out into the world.  I hope it reaches you, wherever you may be.  Hug your loved ones a little tighter, add an extra drop of rum into that eggnog, and laugh a little harder when you watch Clark Griswold go sledding down the hill and into the Walmart parking lot.

Merry Christmas from my family to yours.  

must love dogs: adoption

Our first night at home with Kea.  The photo is so fuzzy because she wouldn't/couldn't stay still!

I think it's safe to say, adoption is the best route for getting a pet.  There are so many animals out there that need to be saved to good homes with loving people and there are lots of organizations out there that help to just that.  The SPCA, for example, not only house animals for adoption, but also offer great services to help you and your new pet make a lasting relationship.  We found Kea through an organization called Big and Small.  They specialize in saving dogs from high-kill shelters and all the dogs are saved from the euthanasia list.  We had a great experience working with them, and sometimes think it's fate that we ended up with Kea.

In this second installment of must love dogs, I thought I'd share Kea's adoption story.  

The Bf and I knew that one day we wanted to have a dog in our little life together.  I think I asked the Bf if we could get a dog, every. single. day. for months and months.  I would peruse different websites and swoon over all the cute furry faces, I would stop and say hi to every dog that walked by (of course, I still do this), and would pretty much whine about my cold, dog-less lap while sitting on the couch watching tv.  Than for Christmas 2011 the Bf gave me the greatest gift.  It was a book called "The Encyclopedia of Dog Breeds", with a card inside saying "I think you know what this means".   This meant the search for our new family member was to commence immediately,  I don't think I've ever squealed quite so high.  

The Bf is a very calculated guy, so once this big decision had been made, we talked in great lengths as to all things dog.  A dog requires a lot of care, care that costs money, ie. food, medical bills, etc.  So, being financially ready was really important.  We discussed breeds that we like, utilizing my great gift of the encyclopedia, and what types of dogs we both grew up with.  What size of dog we thought would fit into our lifestyle.  Living in Vancouver, we live in an apartment (and probably will for some time), so our dog would need to be able to have enough space within our space.  There were many other factors, but we were able to come to agreement that we wanted a dog in a medium-ish size, and were open to different breeds. What we cared about the most was connecting with our future dog.  

The search began with continuing to look through different websites, and going and visiting dogs in shelters.  We must have driven around the entire lower mainland seeing visiting different shelters, and saw lots of dogs, but surprisingly enough, we weren't the only people doing that.  Every dog that we were interested in already had multiple applications for them.  I remember meeting this little cutie, named Oreo, and when we got to go in the little room with just the us and her, she instantly nuzzled me and sat down in my lap.  What a sweetheart.  We learned later that the other couple in the waiting area (which I swear to this day gave me the evil eye) was also hoping to bring her home, and had come to visit her again and scope out the competition.  Days later we got the call that Oreo went home with that other couple.  Looking back now, I just know they are a happy little family.

That being said, this made us very discouraged, and after other letdowns, I definitely had moments of doubt that this was going to happen. Then one day, a co worker suggested we go to a couple of local pet food/supply stores and ask if they know of any organizations looking for people to adopt dogs.  We tried Bow Wow Haus, which also happens to be a block from the BF's work, and they were super helpful and put us in touch with Big and Small.  Through email, they sent us photos of two dogs they had just recently saved, and that we could arrange a meeting.  It worked out perfectly that the foster for Kea also worked at the dog shop, so we were able to meet her there and meet Kea for the first time.  

We just knew.  The moment I laid eyes on her, and picked her up, I just knew she had to be ours.   

Within a couple of days, we had our application complete, a house visit done and we were approved to adopt Kea.  It happened so quickly, but after a couple of months of looking, we knew she was perfect for us.  

  

It's hard to know the full story of your pet's history, when adopting. And that also means, there may be some unexpected things that pop up along the way.  Knowing exactly what breed mixture your dog is, or what size it will grow up to be may be a bit of a surprise.  Something wonderful about adoption is that from that first meeting, you're starting to build your relationship with your pet, no matter what they grow up to be. 

Big or Small.

Kea was found in the desert in California.  We don't know if she was born there or dumped there.  We think she's some sort of mixture of Shepard, Heeler and Coyote.  She's the best dog ever.

must love dogs

this photo was professionally taken as a gift for my sister Julie for her grade 8 graduation

For those of you that know me, you know I've always loved dogs.  You may even refer to me as 'the crazy dog lady' after having a silly conversation in a silly voice with the Bernese Mountain dog that just walked by.

Since having Kea in our life, everything is just that much happier, that much more special. The relationship you can build with your dog is like none other, she's my best friend, my little furry child, and my confidant.

We always get compliments on how well behaved she is, happy go lucky she is, and of course how cute she is, usually followed by 'what's your secret?'  And we usually answer with 'she's just a really special dog'.
But there are a lot of things we've done and worked on with her to help mold her into the sweetheart she is.

This is a topic I've been wanting to write about for a while now, and I finally feel confident enough to share some secrets.  And I thought I'd start with a story of my first dog, Snoopy.

When I was about 8 or 9 years old, we adopted a dog from the pound in Caledon, Ontario.  My Dad worked in that town and pretty much knew everyone, so when he heard of this particular dog at the pound, he had to go check it out.  It didn't take long from that moment.  He brought home a polaroid picture and we all swooned at how cute she was. I don't know for sure, but I think my Mom wasn't too keen about the whole thing, but when my Dad set his mind to something, there was no stopping him.*  Within a few days we had her home and (after turning down many a name that I protested were the best, including Michael, after my classroom crush) named her Snoopy.

We had Snoopy for about 5 or 6 years and one thing we could never help her with was her abandonment issues.  The first time we left her home alone, she literally jumped up onto the dining room table and ate my sisters science project (something to do with how quickly pop can destroy your teeth, so chances are it tasted great), and ran a muck around the entire house, peeing, pooping and howling.
This obviously wasn't acceptable, so after trying every possible thing, we ended up having to tie her up to the back door when we left her alone.  And what damage she was still able to do, whenever I smell pine sol, I think of Snoopy.  She would run herself ragged while being tied up, and pee and poop all over her bed and the floor surrounding it every single time, which was pretty much daily.  Basically, she would be going crazy in a pile of her own sh*t.  You can only imagine what that looked/smelled/sounded like.  She would be so excited to see us when we got home, that even having to clean up after her daily, it was hard to resist her loving little face.  Once cleaned up she would trot over in front of the couch and lie down, calm and happy.

As she got older and more sick, she had an enlarged heart, this behavior died down a bit.  She walked slower and barked deeper and we knew the end was near for her.  And yes, we all assumed that her heart was just so full of love for us, for giving her a good home.  But what was really happening was her heart took over her lungs until she could no longer breathe.  She went peacefully in her sleep one morning and my sister was with her.  We were all so sad, and miss her dearly.

I guess what I'm trying to say with sharing this story is that, sometimes your pet isn't meant to change.  You love them and nurture them and take care of them no matter what and that is what will make them a 'good' dog.
I am by no means an expert, but I do agree with the strangers comments about Kea, we have done a really good job raising her.  So over the next little while, I plan on sharing a few of our secrets.

this (super old!) photo is of me and Snoopy in front of our house.

*We adopted Snoopy when she was approx 5-7 years old, so she was well into her little doggy life, and that meant that a lot of the habits she had weren't going to be easy to change, but my Dad didn't care. Snoopy was going to be put down because no one wanted to adopt her, but Dad insisted on saving her and bringing her into our home.
When I decided to start writing this series and this story I double checked a couple of facts with my sisters, and didn't remember this part.  It makes me smile.

the last time

sorry for the blurry photos, they were taken on my iphone.  

These thoughts are a little bit jumbled.  Bare with me.

Last month I had a week vacation, and spent it back home in Brampton, Ontario.  I was visiting my Mom and helping out any way I could to get our family home ready to be put up for sale.  

I gardened, packed boxes, cleaned, took shelves off the walls, lifted things, carried things, all while trying to soak in my last moments there.

I grew up only ever living in one house, which is rare these days, but over the years it's acted more like a meeting place where we can all reconvene.   And luckily my oldest sister was able to fly out and meet up with my Mom, middle sister, and I, for one last hurrah.  I really do have the best family.

I have so many memories there and will never forget the wall paper we used to have in the kitchen, or the Christmas tree lighting up the big window in the living room, or playing dress up in backyard with the neighbors kids.  

It may sound strange, but I hope the buyers are a young family looking for a great place to raise their kids and join the community.  

The photos on the right are being in my (nearly empty) bedroom for the last time, and looking out my bedroom window to the big maple tree in the front yard.  And the photo with the four of us together is right before leaving for the airport to head back to Vancouver, aka. right before I started crying.  

I'm never going to be there again. And that makes me sad.

Holiday Season in Review

Get ready for photo overload.  

I thought I'd catch you all up on my what I did over my holiday season.  We managed to keep up a lot of our family traditions and frankly I think we did rather well, considering. 

My sisters and I visited the Hudson's Bay at the Eaton Center, in downtown Toronto, to see the Christmas Window displays.  We used to go when we were kids every year and made a day of it, such a good tradition.  

We also did the job of picking out, putting up, and decorating the Christmas tree.  Picking a tree was pretty easy, seeing as we fell in love with the first tree we saw.  While decorating the tree, we decided to purge some of our old (read: broken/ugly) ornaments and decor.  Let's just say, it was a long awaited task.

I attended a friends annual gingerbread house making party.  Holy moly, these girls are good! A few ladies prepared for the task by researching ideas online, meanwhile some invested in professional grade tools to help with icing and such.  It was pretty competitive, but such a great night. 

And lastly, my sisters and I had a girls day and got our hair done, ate some sushi for lunch and walked around the Burlington Village Square.

Oh, and with the big day being my birthday as well, Mom got me my favourite cake.  An ice cream cake with Santa Claus on it.   

I was really proud of Mom, my sisters and I this holiday season.

Even though we missed Dad like crazy, we still managed to make each other laugh with silly gifts, enjoy good food together, and made some new memories.  

I may be a bit behind, but I hope nothing but the best for you all in this new year!

happy thanksgiving!

I hope everyone had a great long weekend! Mine was filled with....well, lots of work actually.  But, I managed to squeeze in a little family time, and some turkey.  Saturday was a great day to get outside, so the Bf, Kea and I went out to Sasamat Lake for a hike.  We did a loop around the lake and stopped in a sunny spot for a picnic lunch and let the pooch go for a swim.  

It's moments like these that I really feel thankful for our little family.

Oh! and a shoutout to the rest of the fam.... I'm so thankful for you guys too! Love you! 

sisters

August, 2008 at a Motley Crue Concert....don't ask, lol!

Wow, what a week. In the line of work that I do, I definitely don't work Monday to Friday, I have a different schedule every week and have different days off every week. I'm working 6 days straight at the moment but, the pay off is coming!!

Time flew by so quickly and it has finally come, my sister Julie is coming to visit!!!!

She arrives on Thursday (and I'm off the 6 whole days that she's here!!) and is the first of my family and friends to come out to Vancouver, just to visit little old me! She's never been out west so we'll be spending her time here touring around the city, my neighbourhood, and maybe a day trip or two. Soo excited!

Any suggestions for things to do, restaurants to try and sights to see? I know there still tons in this amazing city i haven't tried yet!!

In the water

I love this video, and I thought it might help you guys keep going during what feels like the longest week ever. You can hear my whole family in it, I think it hilarious. And, you should know, Cracker (my sister's dog) never voluntarily goes in the water. He's a little afraid of it, as of a lot of things ;)

It's basically my favourite memory from Fam Jam 2011. Gotta love my furry nephew!

Fam Jam 2011 Part 2

Let me tell you where my love for cottaging began. Growing up my family rented the same cottage every summer for nearly 15 years. So often that it felt like ours. Some summers it was only for a week or so, others it was a month or so. My sisters and I grew up with that relaxing, beachy experience and it stuck with us. Cottage = relaxation, and that's just the way it is. Because of our cottage years, we have grown closer and that also means lots of inside jokes, secret telling, and lots of outdoor fun. We've grown to love the small town vibes that cottage country gives and were able to feel very at home there. This cottage adventure took place in a small town called Fenlon Falls. We had visited it during some other family vacation years ago, and I've become familiar with it because my bff and her husband escaped the city life and moved here after they got married. It's such a gorgeous little town, Who wouldn't want to raise their family here?

I can't wait till next year for our next Fam Jam!! Who, knows, maybe it'll be on the westcoast! ;)

Fam Jam 2011 Part 1

I'm finally getting my act together and posting about my amazing family vacation. As you know, my sister planned this trip as a Christmas gift last year, and we were all so super excited about it. My family is really close and we love just hanging out with each other.

Come Friday night we all finally arrived at the cottage (including my furry nephew!), we got unpacked and sat around catching up with each other. Starting the following day and on through the rest of the week memories were being made. Flying kites, playing badminton, boating, sunning, reading and most definitely laughing. We were super lucky weather wise, it was the first taste of summer weather in Ontario. And it helped having the cottage right on the water, that meant a nice breeze to keep the humidity away.

Now that its all over and we're back to regular life, I know we all miss each other a little bit more.

*there's more to come of my family fun!!

I'm baaack!

Hello Lovelies! and Happy Monday to you all!

So, last week was one of the best weeks of my life! How could it not be??

Amazing weather (the start of summer in good old cottage country, Ontario), wholesome family fun, home cooked meals, and lots of laughter.

My family and I are super close and I just love when we get quality time together to just be us. I'll have a few photos up on my next couple of posts (including meeting my bff's new bundle of joy!), but here is one of my favourites ;)

Glad to be back everyone! I missed you desperately!!

How was your week? Anything new and exciting??

first taste of summer

I'm sooo super excited!! Closer to Christmas I told all of you lovelies about a Christmas present that one of my sister's got for the whole family, a week all together at a rented cottage! And guess what?? The time has finally come!! I leave tomorrow morning and will be gone for a week.This trip kinda snuck up on me. Work and life have been taking over (read: just work ;) ) and holy moly, where did the last month go??!! Last thing I remember, I was starting my new job and adjusting to working full time again. Now it's all a little bit of a blur, but a super fun, totally great blur.I won't have my computer with me, so this'll be a post free week. But, I thought before I leave you for a week (again...sorry!) I would share a few of my favourite summer outfit inspiration photos, because ya know what? I'm gonna be wearing my own versions hopefully all week!!

Yes, all of these photos are from Coachella! You can find them on my Pinterest Boards!

*Note to readers: please cross your fingers for me in hopes of good weather!!*