December

Well, December is upon us.

A month of birthdays in my family. My mother, my father as well as one of my sisters and my favorite cousin.

Mom is the one I get to focus on and celebrate. 

So, this year, we will do what we did last year to start....I'm going to get mom all dolled up. Get her pampered like she doesn't usually get. Take her out to get a manicure and pedicure and get her hair did. Making it a tradition!

Hopefully this year, my daughter will be available to join us so we can do a three generation pamper fest! lol  Oh yeah....we'll see!

Then.....we'll probably head out for a nice dinner. The last few years I've been successful with arranging a group of family members to join us for buffet to celebrate my mom. Think i'll skip that this year though. Just keep it immediate family. I dunno, still thinking about it...I've got an idea that I'm toying with if I can make it work. Will put some feelers out and see what I get. After all, next year is the big one that I have to plan for - 65!!. Mom already knows. Hell, she expects a big party and already told me so..lol...just doesn't have any details because there aren't any yet. At least she gave me notice..lol I'll keep working on keeping her in good health and spirits for it.

Stay tuned.

Time to start making plans for the holidays too, if there aren't any that are traditional already.

Last year, it was just myself, my daughter and my mom. Mom came over to stay the night Christmas Eve. I don't even remember where my son was. lol I'm sure he came in for food at some point though. Whenever moms health is good, we try to make sure to spend special occasions together. You know, kind of make up for lost time. Christmas is no exception. Last year I did up a good meal. My mom and daughter got into the cornbread before dinner was ready which had us laughing when they wouldn't stop. lol Mom even helped me a bit with the meal. At the end of it, I had soo many leftovers it was ridiculous. I made way too much food. Now, if Furman was with us, I probably wouldn't have had so much food left. lol  

Well....my daughter and I were talking about the holidays and realizing that this will be the first Christmas that we will be together as a family. I married last year but right after our wedding Furman was back home in Florida. It sucked too, because it was the longest that we were ever apart since we reunited. October to March. That was just over 5 months mannnnn!! Especially after just getting married. It was absolutely awful. But he is here now...and won't be going anywhere until his paperwork comes through and he is ready to land, which should be soon. You know what that means? That means that not only will we be together for Christmas, but that we will get to spend our very first New Years Eve together. I'm soo excited. It's always been a bummer to be without the man I love on New Years. First things first though...Christmas. 

Now don't get me wrong, he's visited Christmas time but I can't remember if he has actually been here for Christmas Day. I don't think so. This photo was actually taken Christmas time 2010 when we shared a holiday dinner at my cousins house with several extended family members. It was a hoot. Great memories, and Furman certainly got an opportunity to see what type of family he was in for! lol

This year, will be our first as Mr and Mrs. So, if I do what I did last year and cook up a big meal for mom and my kids, it will be even more special to share it with my husband too. Best Christmas gift I can have is to spend the day with those I love. That, is all I ever want. We'll see how it works out this year.

I left a voicemail message for my father, to plant a seed about possibly letting me take him out for a bite to eat for his upcoming birthday too. Now...that would be something! But, I know its probably still too much to ask for. lol With continued prayer...he just might give in to me one day!! I'll keep putting it out there though. After the year he's had, he doesn't have a whole lot of family left. I might get selected by default. lol Fingers crossed and prayers continuing. We'll see.

Happy Holidays to everyone!!

Now, let me just say this...I'm a Merry Christmas kind of girl. 

But, i'll say Happy Holidays for now since Christmas is still several weeks away. 

I'm not about trying to be politically correct. 

All these changes trying to take Christ out of Christmas is just complete foolishness in my opinion. Stop doing it!!

Jesus is the reason for the season.  

I'm just sayin!!

Bienvenue Montreal

What an awesome weekend in Montreal!

Saturday started out with our first snowfall, which started to hamper our walk to the bus terminal to catch the GO Bus to Union Station. Just after we crossed the street to start our walk, a local bus coming noticed us with our bags and stopped to pick us up. What luck!


Our train ride to Montreal was lovely. The train made about 5 passenger stops on the way. I checked in on Facebook for each and every one of them. And, we shared some photos we took during our travels too. Took advantage of that free wi-fi. Why do the conductors come scan your train tickets after you leave the station though? What if there was a problem with your ticket? What to do, what to do?



Fairmont Le Reine Elizabeth couldn't be more ideal to the train station. I swear, if we weren't going to tour the city we wouldn't have to go outside and we'd still be around everything. Les Halles de la Gare. Underground city of shops and restaurants spanning about 22 miles. It was soo cool. We didn't even realize till we were leaving that the same elevator that took us to our hotel room took us right down to the train station. lol So I had to laugh when someone I know shared on Facebook about their first trip by train to the Fairmont. They exited the train station to hop in a taxi and asked to be brought to the Fairmont. hahahaha Right upstairs. I know that had to be embarrassing. lol
But it's an absolutely beautiful hotel. Pricy. But then again, it's the Fairmont.

As we were getting settled in the room we checked out the amenities. You need to click on this photo to get the larger view and read the price list. Jaw dropping. Needless to say, we made sure there was no sleep eating or drinking. lol Not at $8.50 for a bottle of water!! And the cost of the snacks? $3.95 Granola Bar! Not sure what they are smoking. lol That just let me know that I was in trouble for dinner.


We had reservations at Fairmont's Beaver Club to celebrate my husbands birthday. So, after we got all unpacked and relaxed a bit...we got all dolled up for dinner. It was dress up night! Dinner was quite the experience, I'll say. They plate the food right in front of you. My husband had the Prime Rib and I got daring and tried the Filet Mignon of Buffalo. Yup..I actually ate Bison. Oh...but only after my appetizer which was the Duckling Foie Gras. OMG! It sounded cool on the menu till the waiter tried to explain what it was to me in his French accent. hahaha I almost said...Yeah...NO! But, I put on my poker face and stuck with it. I've had liver before but duck liver? I will never do that again. lol But hey, I can say I tried it. I was rewarded with a good choice in dessert. Lime Souffle with Tequila Sorbet. (Was getting my alcohol fix from my dessert and the Canadian Whisky gravy with my filet..lol) Man...it was good and looked awesome.

Then, they surprised us with an additional dessert to celebrate Furman's birthday and took a photo of us to memorialize the occasion. So we sat there wondering how they were going to get this photo to us.To finish off our meal, they brought us coffee and even that was a treat. haha They gave us a small tray with cubes of brown sugar, white sugar and crystalized sugar that the waiter joked would take 24hrs to dissolve. lol On the tray with the sugars were also a small bowl of whipped cream and another of chocolate shavings. Oh yeah! We got to decorate our coffee. It was awesome. And just when we thought we were done...they brought out a tray of chocolates. Furman loved that! A few were even shaped as a maple leaf. lol

Oh, and we found out how we were getting the photo they took. They brought it out to us. Awesome!!

Anyways....fast forward to Sunday. Trying my best not to write too too much here. Took my husband on a bus tour with Grayline Tours although I booked through Viator. Excellent tour. Got to see a bit of Old Montreal, Notre Dame Basilica, Olympic Stadium, St Joseph's Oratory and Mont Royal. Tour guide was great. Took a bunch of photos but there are way too many to share.

On Mont Royal.....
see Olympic Stadium in the background?

When our tour finished....we went on our own foot tour through Montreal to find a few recommended places for food. Schwartz' Deli and La Banquise for some traditional poutine. Line ups were popular so I guess that means the places we went to were great choices. Certainly got our exercise. My legs were sore for a few days after. We never got any Montreal Bagels though. I was very disappointed. To my sweethearts credit, he did offer to go get them for me. Gotta love him! Next time though!

Oh yeah....and I already mentioned about my difficulties blogging while I was away. lol I Tried So now, i'm trying to be choosy on which photos I share and what I write so i'm not going on and on.
On that note, I'll bring our little weekend update to a close. I made sure to write a few reviews on Trip Adviser for others already. After all, they were handy for me.

All in all....we had an absolutely awesome weekend. Montreal was cold, but we dodged the snow which suited us just fine. Getting home, we were practically dropped off at our door too. Thank you Go Transit. And...with the Toronto Argonauts winning the Grey Cup Game...I know a lot of Torontonians had a great weekend as well. lol

Now, I can't wait to give my hubby his Christmas surprise!!  Yup....already got it!

My Sweetheart!!
Happy Happy Birthday to the Love of my Life!!
My Soul Mate

Immigration - Medicals Received

Well, I thought I'd be able to blog during my lunch or break today at work but that's not working. I'm having browser issues and not sure when I'll get it fixed. However, I was able to get on the Canadian Immigration website to see that we got an update. Finally!!

MEDICALS HAVE BEEN RECEIVED!!

This is a good sign because it means that we are that much closer to completion. Woo hoo!! I couldn't wait to share the update so I'm using my blogger app on my cellphone to post. Just had to.

Don't worry.... I'll get back to my Montreal Weekend update. Looks like i'll have to get it done tonight on my laptop. Right now, this is so much more exciting. Not quite the birthday gift I was hoping immigration would give my husband.... But we'll take it! Hell yeah!

Thanks to everyone who has been praying for this process to be completed by the new year. That would be so awesome. There is still hope.

Ta ta for now!

I Tried

Soo....I thought I would post a blog post to let you know that while away in Montreal with my husband for his birthday, that I actually was trying to blog.  Problem is, instead of bringing a laptop like I usually do, I thought I would use my blogger apps either on my cellphone or new iPad. Well, it hasn't been working out the greatest. Apps have a bit different functionality than the laptop in terms of how to insert pictures and stuff like I like to do. Text is no problem. So, I have some more learning to do. Lol. Even my husband has been trying to help me figure out how to get my blogging done. Gotta love my husband. My biggest fan! Always supportive. Well, I'll make this quick post and blog about our trip when I return. I'll have something to work on during our train ride back.  I just thought it would be a great idea to use my downtime blogging because I'd have lots to share, which is better broken into two posts as opposed to a really long one. After all, not trying to write a book here. Lol

Perplexed!  Lmao

Right now, we are chillaxin. Getting ready to watch the Grey Cup Game after a long day.  

Go Toronto!

Au Revoir!

Cause I can't be fighting with this thing trying to blog and miss how Toronto beats Calgary.

Oh noooo. Lol

Stay tuned.  Got lots to share about an awesome trip.

Oh Mannnn

I wasn't planning on blogging already but after the Wednesday I had.... I just had to.

Let me start with the positive.
After what was a rough day at work I had some awesome laughs in the evening when we got to church to join the Marrieds Ministries Group. After such a long commute home (of which I certainly won't be missing next week) we made a quick stop for a Costco hotdog to eat as dinner on the way to church. Got to class a bit late but I have to say that I am so happy we made it. We laughed the entire evening. Found a clip to show exactly what we were enjoying.

Mark Gungor - How To Stay Married And Not Kill Anyone.

(Sounds like advice that might come in handy...lol)

Watching this guy, I'm thinking the entire time... He can't be a Pastor, he's a comedian. Lol Seriously though. It was great. Absolutely awesome. Needed that, especially after the day I just had.

Now let me get to the negative. The day.
Change!  Don't know any other way to say it.
But, lots of people affected by changes and I won't say any more than that.
Certainly don't want to dwell on the negative.
I felt like I was in the middle of a battlefield, dodging bullets. It was crazy.

(Remember this....lol)

I survived!
That's a positive!
Counting my blessings.....again!

Today is my Friday. I plan to spend tomorrow resting my head after learning all this stuff that I gotta jump into next week. But tomorrow....it's hang out with my hubby day....and get ready for Montreal. Early morning Saturday departure.
I am soo ready to go!!


Dinner reservations at Le Beaver Club the evening we arrive. Our Montreal City Guided Sightseeing Tour is booked for Sunday. Looking forward to getting some great photos. Then, we get to figure out where we will be enjoying the Grey Cup Final.
Monday....well that is my hubby's Birthday!! We'll probably have time for a wonderful brunch before catching the train back to Toronto.


Thanks to my wonderful husband...I have an iPad. Welcome To The Family So I will definitely have something to keep me occupied while on the train, other than snuggling with hubby as we stare out the window to enjoy the scenery.

Well, since I probably wont blog again till i'm on the train, or at the hotel or..... I dunno. I'll wish everyone a wonderful weekend from now. As always....thanks for reading.

Oh.....and one more thing.........

In Training

First, let me say Congratulations...
to the Toronto Argonauts for winning their game against the Montreal Alouettes on Sunday and advancing to the Final. Yeah, I saw it! Enjoyed it too! I have to admit though, I was convinced Montreal would win. Good thing I'm not a gambling woman because I'd be pissed right now. Lol. But yeah, its the 100th Grey Cup and its awesome that the game being held in Toronto will have the Toronto team playing. Furman and I will definitely be finding the time in Montreal to watch the game, even if its from our cushy hotel room. Lol Then again, maybe we can find a little pub to sit back and chill out with some Poutine!!                            

On another note, it's been a bit tough to blog lately.
I'm in training.
That's where I am.
Sucks too. Although it's a nice change of atmosphere for the week.
This stuff is hard. So much technical stuff and acronyms.
Don't even ask me what I am getting trained on because into the second day, I can't even really tell you. Lol. Gonna be a long week. Tomorrow should be easier because we start to get hands on.
But you know what? In Advance of Your Birthday We've started our countdown......Montreal!!! Woo Hoo  Can't wait.  Think I've said that before. lol It's going to be cold. Got our tour booked, dinner reservations booked, and still checking out a few places that my brother-in-law recommended we set our sights on.
Just want to get through the next couple of days. I've taken Friday off to hang out with my hubby for the day and get ourselves together for our train ride. You know...do any last minute errands and stuff.

Oh, but last evening we had dinner with some awesome friends up in Keswick. Checked out a new place called Wind Sushi. It was an "all you can eat" Sushi Buffet and let me tell you, we went to town. Even the cans of soda were all you can drink. Don't find that too often! The service was awesome and they kept the food coming. So much so that when I woke up this morning, I had a tummy ache. lol Still hopped on the bike to burn some calories though. I had to! Not after all that I ate. It was even too much to track in my food diary. Oh well.

Oh yeah....I had another meeting with the VP of Real Estate about my Petition and Petition Response - What Have I Done?. The meeting went well but not so well. I say that because, while my petition didn't ultimately get the response we were hoping for, it certainly brought attention to our desires to have our voices heard about the changes. But yeah....the merchant I was fighting for will have to move on. We lost. Sucks! I really thought we had a fighting chance for a minute. Now, I've kind of been elected as a sort of building ambassador to follow up after the new place has started running. Yup! The VP wants me to meet with him yet again into the new year to provide him feedback on how the new place is operating. Imagine that? We'll see what happens. I will say though, that he was quite impressed with my efforts to come forward on behalf of everyone regardless of the outcome. That was kind of nice. It was definitely an experience for me. Something "out of the box" I can say I did. Like I said from the beginning though...even if we didn't get our desired outcome, the merchant at least was able to see how much support he had and how much he will be missed. Just wish I could have been successful in getting him to stay.

Remember this?  lol. 

Anyways.....i'm off! Been a long day ending with hubby and me watching the new 007 movie. Very good!!

                                   

I'll try to post before we head off to Montreal! 

Oh....and still no word from Immigration. 

Welcome To The Family

I was welcomed to the iPad family this week.
Or maybe I should say the iPad was welcome to MY family.  (To ME, actually. lol)

My hubby, true to form, went "all out".
He's been dropping hints since just prior to our First Wedding Anniversary that my birthday gift was going to be hard to top. lol Not that we were in any competition to top each others gifts or anything. But, I think that this was just a time where he didn't really have to think about what to get me...he knew, and was excited about it. Apple prices are pretty standard across the board so buying it in the US when we were out there didn't really make any sense, because we'd have to deal with bringing it across the border as a purchase. So, he had already planned to make the purchase when we were home. Besides, I have an Indian Status Card that would save us on taxes. And, it did.

Anyways, since returning home from our trip, Thanksgiving, we had discussed his interest in purchasing an iPad. He actually had me get some info to help decide if he was going to purchase one with 4G or just Wi-Fi. Also, I looked into the company discount that I get...which really wasn't worth bragging about. lol So, we didn't use it. He already knew that he was going to get 64gigs. So, on my way home from work I decided that I would make a stop at Future Shop to see about picking this iPad up for him. You know, surprise him...since I was already on a roll. In Advance of Your Birthday. Well, after speaking with the Sales guy I was given choices that I didn't plan for. What color would you like? Case options? Screen protector options? I had to slow his roll. After all, I was kind of in a hurry because we were supposed to be heading to church for our usual Married's Group and Supper. So, I told the guy that I would return WITH my husband in tow. There went that surprise! lol  When Furman met me outside to head to church I told him what my delay was. He didn't look too happy. lol

After church, we went to Future Shop and took care of that transaction. It was after it was purchased that Furman let me in on the surprise.....the iPad was the gift I've been patiently waiting for. lol Now I know why he didn't look too happy that I almost picked it up for him. The iPad was FOR ME!! Can you imagine if I bought my own gift? hahahaha The gift he wanted to make sure to pick up before we went away for his Birthday weekend to Montreal. (Now THAT, was an awesome surprise for him if I must say so myself. Can't wait.) And now, I've got an iPad for the train ride. Woo Hoo. I love my husband. He is sooo good to me.


So, i'll get to play with my new iPad this weekend.
He's been setting it up for me.

Oh...and I am actually looking forward to watching the football game on Sunday. Imagine that? I, want to watch football. My husband will be very happy. But I guess after watching it in the stadium I developed a new appreciation for the sport. lol


On that note.....Happy Friday and I want to wish everyone a wonderful and blessed weekend.

Don't forget to watch the Whitney Houston Tribute tonight on CBS.
When I hear this song....it brings tears to my eyes every time!!  RIP Whitney.

And I absolutely love R Kelly's music. I don't care what stupidness he has done in his personal life. You just can't dispute the man has talent. And, if God can forgive him, we all should too! Just sayin!