What's Happening

April 2009

2009-11-21T14:12:00.000-08:00

April 2009

Change of website

2009-08-04T06:23:00.000-07:00

Just to let you know, I have created a new blog. My new blog address is http://www.ameliayap.com/mummy-thoughts. Check out our journey to Georgia, our home for the next couple of months.

I would love if you would read it and leave some comments.
Thanks

Happy Birthday Mummy

2009-06-05T18:23:00.001-07:00

May is birthday month in the family and Mum just had her birthday on the 26th of May. Kyle asked her how old she was and she said 37, that is why the candles on the pineapple cheese cake says 37.

Look at that flame!!
Andrew was sick that day so he was already in Bed!
Mum serving everyone as usual!

We all had a good time enjoying the cake. Mum could only have a small piece as she was watching her diet before her surgery the next day. She has a macular hole in her retina.

What is a Marcular hole?
The retina is a thin layer of tissue that covers the back of the eye. The centre of the retina, called the marcula, is the most sensitive part. The macula is responsible for our central vision used for such things as reading. A clear jelly-like substance called the Vitreous Gel fills the central cavity of the eye and is attached to the retina.
The vitreous gel in the eye shrinks with age in many people and pulls away from the retina. In some people the vitreous can cause a hole in the retina when it pulls away called a macular hole. Fluid may leak under the edges of the hole, causing a microscopic retinal detachment. The results in blurring and distortion of vision.

What can be done for a macular hole?

A surgical procedure called a vitrectomy removes the vitreous gel from the eye so it is no longer pulling on the distorting the macula. Any membranes around the edge of the hole that are keeping the hole from closing are removed. The vitreous gel is then replaced with a bubble containing gas. The acts like an internal bandage to hold the edges of the macular hole in place as it heals.

It has been over a week since the surgery and she is doing well. No cooking for her for a few more weeks. Unfortunately, she is still telling me what to do in the kitchen even though she is not allowed to do anything. She just can't let go. Dad on the other hand is not complaining about eating too much vegetables. He know that if he complains he might be making his own dinners. My aunt comes by with food on and off so there is always tons of food! We can never go hungry in the Yap household, that is for sure!

Hair Donation

2009-05-22T04:43:00.000-07:00

My hair grows on average an inch every 2 months. Since I shaved it 2 years ago, it has grown 12 inches. So I figured it was time for another donation. Here are the before and after pictures.

Me with my locks

All prepared for Kyle my hair cutter.
After the hair cut!
Hair for donation
The New Do!

Hey if any of you want to donate or are thinking about donating, here are the websites to find more information.
www.achildsvoicefoundation.com in Canada, or locksoflove.org in the U.S. This is a little something that you could do for a child.

Thanks to all of you who can help.

Narcisse Snake Den

2009-05-03T06:18:00.000-07:00

There are so many things to do in Manitoba so our first big outing this year is our visit to Narcisse snakes den, The Narcisse Snake Den Area is the world's largest concentration of snakes. In fact, these aggregations represent one of the largest concentrations of any vertebrate species anywhere in the world.

Every spring, the Narcisse Snake Dens are alive with tens of thousands of red-sided garter snakes as they slither to the surface from their winter dens. These snakes are ready to begin their annual mating ritual.

Balls of snakes mating.

Matthew with a tiny

Andrew

Natalie

How do you overcome your fear of snakes? Hold one.

Matthew's First Holy Communion

2009-04-27T04:26:00.000-07:00

My Matthew has grown up, he had his first Holy communion on the 26th of April. So funny, before that, he asked me, "Does this mean that I can go for communion every time?". He has learnt alot from the religious classes, we sometimes feel he knows more that us. I am so proud of him!

Family Shot, Erin and Matthew both had their first Holy Communion.

Matthew with Deacon Doug. Deacon Doug also baptized Matthew 7 years earlier.

Matthew (Mary Mother of the Chruch)

Natalie and Amelia (taken by Matthew)

Matthew and Kailyn Louka (his classmate)

My three little angles under Mary Care.

George and Shirley's 50th Wedding Anniversary

2009-04-26T05:17:00.000-07:00

Kyle's parents George and Shirley celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary on the 25th of April and how appropriate, it fell on a Saturday afternoon. The whole family was there to celebrate the wonderful day. Even the uncles and aunts.

The proud couple

Most of the family.

The oldest and the youngest.

50 years is amazing, when Kyle and I celebrate our 50th anniversary, I will be 76, hey that is not too old!! My parents just will be celebrating their 46th anniversary in May. Time really flies... Being with your best friend for so long is amazing and great. Kyle and I will be celebrating our 13th anniversary in June, I look forward to many more years with my best friend.

Matthew is 8

2009-04-20T20:31:00.001-07:00

My Matthew just turned 8 last week, but since it was on Good Friday the 10th, it wasn't an appriopriate day for a party, he had his party on Saturday the 18th. When I talked to one of the parents, he asked where the party was being held. Our house?!? I guess many kids have parties at locations, like mini golf, or bowling or amusement parks. I have been told that this is less work and less clean up.

Well we had the party at home and it was a success. The kids had a blast and they were entertained the whole time. They didn't want to leave.

The weather was cloudy about 5C/40F, at least there was no snow. The kids played soccer for a little bit and then when everyone arrived we played a boardgame on the driveway. We made a boardgame with 16 square and the kids were the pawns. We made a die with a cardboard box and the kids had a blast throwing it into the air and stuff. Some of the spaces were, skip a turn, go back 3 spaces, move forward 2 spaces and empty your pockets, jump till you next turn, similar to Monopoly. Make up your own rules. They stayed outside for about an hour. Then we proceed inside for more fun.

We did a craft, the decorated their own brown goodie bag and made orgami shirt which they decorated too. Here are the instructions for the shirt.

We also played a couple of games of Bingo and Charades. Even my Natalie the 3 year old and Andrew the 5 year old participated. Natalie did the actions for animals. Make it applicable for the age group. I just did a search on the internet for different game ideas. There are tons out there.

For food, we had pop corn chicken with sliced vegetables and fruit. Very healthy and very little packaging. When we were done eating, the cake was brought out and they used the dinner plate for their cake. Just one set of dishes and cutlery. Very little clean up and little waste. That is the "green" mum coming out in me.

This party lasted 3 hours, and barely had enough time to open gifts. I think the boys really wanted to play lego but didn't have time. No excuse about the house being too small. The whole party took place on the driveway and in the regular size living room and dinning room. Mostly in the dinning room around the table, there were 9 kids in total! The kids don't really need fancy parties and elobrate locations. I think everyone had a good time and I know Matthew did, that is the most important! Have your next party at home.

What do we appreciate

2009-04-17T05:14:00.000-07:00

If you are reading this, this means that you are blessed in one way or another. Read on learn how blessed we are!

A Story to live by :
There was a blind girl who hated herself because she was
blind. She hated everyone, except her loving boyfriend. He
was always there for her. She told her boyfriend, 'If I
could only see the world, I will marry you.'

One day, someone donated a pair of eyes to her. When the bandages
came off, she was able to see everything, including her boyfriend.

He asked her, 'Now that you can see the world, will you marry me?'
The girl looked at her boyfriend and saw that he was blind.
The sight of his closed eyelids shocked her. She hadn't expected
that. The thought of looking at them the rest of her life
led her to refuse to marry him.

Her boyfriend left in tears and days later wrote a note to her
saying: 'Take good care of your eyes, my dear, for before
they were yours, they were mine.'

This is how the human brain often works when our status changes.
Only a very few remember what life was like before, and who
was always by their side in the most painful situations.

Life Is a Gift

Today before you say an unkind word - Think of someone who
can't speak.

Before you complain about the taste of your food - Think of
someone who has nothing to eat..

Before you complain about your husband or wife - Think of someone
who's crying out to GOD for a companion.

Today before you complain about life - Think of someone who died
too early on this earth.

Before you complain about your children - Think of someone who
desires children but they're barren...

Before you argue about your dirty house someone didn't clean
or sweep - Think of the people who are living in the streets.

Before whining about the distance you drive Think of someone who
walks the same distance with their feet.

And when you are tired and complain about your job - Think of the
unemployed, the disabled, and those who wish they had your job.

But before you think of pointing the finger or condemning
another - Remember that not one of us is without sin.

And when depressing thoughts seem to get you down - Put a smile on
your face and think: you're alive and still around.

Think Happy Thoughts, and you will be Happy

I believe

2009-04-01T07:05:00.000-07:00

Something I received in an email that I totally can relate to. I hope you can you.

After living what I felt was a 'decent' life, my time
on earth came to the end.

The first thing I remember is sitting on a
bench in the waiting room of what I thought to
be a court house.
The doors opened and I was instructed to come in and
have a seat by the defense table.
As I looked around I saw the 'prosecutor.'
He was a villainous looking gent who snarled as he
stared at me. He definitely was the most
evil person I have ever seen.
I sat down and looked to my left and there sat My
Attorney, kind and gentle looking man
whose appearance seemed so familiar to me,
I felt I knew Him.

The corner door flew open and there appeared the
Judge in full flowing robes.
He commanded an awesome presence as He moved across
the room I couldn't take my eyes off of Him.
As He took His seat behind the bench, He said, 'Let
us begin..'
The prosecutor rose and said,
'My name is Satan and I am here to show you why this man
belongs in hell.'

He proceeded to tell of lies that I told, things
that I stole, and In the past when I cheated
others. Satan told of other horrible Perversions
that were once in my life and the more he spoke,
the further down in my seat I sank.

I was so embarrassed that I couldn't look at
anyone, even my own Attorney, as the Devil told
of sins that even I had completely forgotten about.

As upset as I was at Satan for telling all these
things about me, I was equally upset at My
Attorney who sat there silently not offering any
form of defense at all.
I know I had been guilty of those things, but I
had done some good in my life - couldn't that at
least equal out part of the harm I'd done?

Satan finished with a fury and said, 'This man belongs
in hell, he is guilty of all that I have charged
and there is not a person who can prove otherwise.'
When it was His turn, My Attorney first asked if He
might approach the bench. The Judge
allowed this over the strong objection of Satan,
and beckoned Him to come forward .
As He got up and started walking, I was able to see
Him in His full splendor and majesty.

I realized why He seemed so familiar; this was
Jesus representing me, my Lord and my Savior.
He stopped at the bench and softly said to the
Judge, 'Hi, Dad,' and then He turned to address
the court.
'Satan was correct in saying that this man had sinned,
I won't deny any of these allegations. And, yes,
the wages of sin is death, and this man deserves to
be punished.'

Jesus took a deep breath and turned to His Father with
outstretched arms and proclaimed, 'However, I
died on the cross so that this person might have
eternal life and he has accepted Me as his Savior,
so he is Mine.'
My Lord continued with, 'His name is written in the
Book of Life, and no one can snatch him from Me.
Satan still does not understand yet. This man is
not to be given justice, but rather mercy.'
As Jesus sat down, He quietly paused, looked
at His Father and said, 'There is nothing else
that needs to be done.'
'I've done it all.'
The Judge lifted His mighty hand and slammed the
gavel down. The following words bellowed
from His lips..
'This man is free. The penalty for him has
already been paid in full. 'Case dismissed.'
As my Lord led me away, I could hear Satan ranting
and raving, 'I won't give up, I will win the next one.'

I asked Jesus as He gave me my instructions where
to go next, 'Have you ever lost a case?'

Christ lovingly smiled and said, 'Everyone that has come
to Me and asked Me to represent them has
received the same verdict as you, ~Paid In Full~'

'Stop telling God how big your storm is.
Instead, tell the storm how big your God is!'

Creativity in our kids.

2009-03-30T06:05:00.000-07:00

As much as we love to give toys to our children, they often find other sources of entertainment to occupy their time. Natalie is currently playing with a plastic container of 20 pennies (food), colourful stamp punch outs and a die, mixing it with a crayon and cooking it, and feeding it to me. She adds different things to it using different things on my desk, cup, lotion, pen cap, pencil etc. She has been playing with that for the last half hour. There is so much creativity in their little minds, I am striving not to squash that creativity. It would be great if any one has any suggestions. Add a comment. Thanks.

Andew's Breakfast

2009-02-20T03:12:00.000-08:00

One Morning Kyle asked Andrew what he wanted for breakfast and here is their conversation:

Kyle: what would you like for breakfast?
Andrew: What I had yesterday?
Kyle: What did you have yesterday?
Andrew: Do you remember when I was born?
Kyle: Yes.
Andrew: Why can't you remember what I had for breakfast yesterday?

Sometimes the kids are just too smart!!

Less Stress in Our Lives

2009-02-20T03:08:00.001-08:00

I am passing this on to you because it definitely worked for me and we
could all use more calm in our lives.
By following the simple advice I heard on a medical tv show, I have
finally found inner peace.

A doctor proclaimed the way to achieve inner peace is to finish all
the things that you have started.
So I looked round my house to see things that I had started and hadn't
finished and, before leaving the house this morning, I finished off a
bottle of Merlot, a bottle of shhhardonay, a bodle of Baileys, a butle
of vocka, a pockage of Prunglies, the mainder of bot Prozic and Valium
scriptins, the res of the chesecke an a box a chocolets.
Yu haf no idr who filpin gud I fel.
Peas send is orn to dem yu fee AR in ned of inr pece.

lourv nd lit

Winter Wonderland

2009-02-17T04:27:00.000-08:00

The kids are loving their winter wonderland in the back yard. They built a igloo and there is a skating rink on the lake and their own private tobaggan run. What more can you ask for? I just sit at the window and watch them from the comfort and warmth of the family room.
Their igloo before it melted with the Feburary thaw.

From the inside of the igloo.

Andrew relaxing inside. Matthew could also stand up inside.

View from inside.

Natalie going down on the sled..

Andrew coming down

Andrew the snow monster!

Happy Chinese New Year

2009-01-26T03:22:00.000-08:00

Just returned from an awesome course in Louisville, Kentucky. It was a little warmer than Winnipeg but somehow it didn't feel that way. The people there are just so friendly, but everyone said come back in Spring. Wasn't so bad, if you are from Winnipeg.

So today is the first day of Chinese New Year, Mum is making a feast and since we were away, we ate out lots and will be eating lots for the next 2 weeks.... I have to make sure I stick with my exercise routine...

Not sure if you have ever heard of Mall Walking. The old folks walk in the malls during the winter before the stores open as it is too cold to walk outside and they need some sort of exercise or socializing. In Phoenix, Arizona, they mall walk too as it is too hot outside. Well I didn't want to get a gym membership so I decided to mall walk with my parents. We go early as soon as the mall opens at 8am so I am home by 9am and Kyle gets the kids ready for school and doesn't usually start working till after 9am anyways. I do that twice-3 times a week. Sometimes I take the kids but it is not as productive as they start to complain after a while and it slows me down. I really enjoy Yoga to so I do that on the other days, I aim for 15 minutes and I feel better.

Here are some pictures of the kiddies.
Natalie, Matthew and Andrew posing for the camera!

Special dinner table for the kids, Natalie, Andrew, Matthew and Erin (Joel's daughter).

Chinese New Year dinner with me, Ah Koo(Dad's sister), Lita and Duluk (good friends of my parents), Dad, Mum and Joel.

Crazy kids singing the new year song and collecting their red packets from Daddy.
BTW they love the video and want to watch it over and over.

Assistant Water Safety Instruction(AWSI)

2009-01-14T12:11:00.000-08:00

So I am in school again, taking AWSI at the Pan-Am Pool. AWSI is a course to teach kids and adults to swim. I wasn't too sure if we would be able to find a swimming instructor easily in CR so I decided to learn to teach, to teach them myself. It is so important for the kids to know water safety and know how to swim.

There are 10 students in the class, the kids range from 15-17 and me! Even the instructor is in her 20s. They say this is the next level so that is why most of them are doing it. Plus it would be a great job while they are in school. Why didn't I think of that before? Anyways, the kids are great. I don't feel old, just feel like I have a little more experience than them. I am old enough to be their mum!!

We had our first class on Sunday and we even did a impromptu presentation with everyone critiquing each other. I was nervous, not sure why, I guess I didn't know what to think, talking to a bunch of teenagers who are my peers. This was done to help prepare us to speak to a group of students that we will be teaching. Learning tips, how to talk etc. I think it is awesome, great experience for the kids. No peer pressure from their classmates, all the kids here don't know each other so it is a neutral environment. We need more of this.

Like what Matthew(7) said before, he can't figure out why adults have so much trouble speaking in front of people, he is only a kid and doesn't have any problem with that!

Photo Booth with Attitude

2009-01-11T05:15:00.000-08:00

Check out this site for a great laugh, photo booth with an attitude.
http://videos.komando.com/2008/06/27/photo-booth/

How Precious

2009-01-05T14:20:00.000-08:00

Back to school in the new year. At lunch today Natalie says that she doesn't want Andrew to go to school. She knows that she is going to miss him, her play mate, she'll never admit it. Funny, she keeps on telling him that she doesn't like him!!

Get a Normal Job

2009-01-05T07:28:00.000-08:00

At Christmas Eve dinner, Matthew asked his cousin Erin why people don't get normal jobs. Kyle asked Matthew what he meant. A normal job like his parents, who work from the home!!!

I love working from home. I can play with the kids throughout the day and if they need help with something, I am there. I am fortunate and blessed.

Happy New Year

2009-01-02T05:24:00.000-08:00

May all your dreams come true!
Another year of adventures...

Brilliant English‏

2008-12-24T05:03:00.000-08:00

Someone sent this to me and I thought it was awesome and wanted to share it.

This write-up is absolutely BRILLIANT!
For those who speak English well, you will find it amusing.

Can you read these right the first time?
1) The bandage was wound around the wound.
2) The farm was used to produce produce .
3) The dump was so full that it had to refuse more refuse .
4) We must polish the Polish furniture.
5) He could lead if he would get the lead out.
6) The soldier decided to desert his dessert in the desert.
7) Since there is no time like the present , he thought it
Was time to present .
8) A bass was painted on the head of the bass drum.
9) When shot at, the dove dove into the bushes.
10) I did not object to the object.
11) The insurance was invalid for the invalid.
12) There was a row among the oarsmen about how to row .
13) They were too close to the door to close it.
14) The buck does funny things when the does are present.
15) A seamstress and a sewer fell down into a sewer line.
16) To help with planting, the farmer taught his sow to sow.
17) The wind was too strong to wind the sail.
18) Upon seeing the tear in the painting I shed a tear.
19) I had to subject the subject to a series of tests.
20) How can I intimate this to my most intimate friend?

Let's face it - English is a crazy language. There is no egg in eggplant, nor ham in hamburger; neither apple nor pine in pineapple. English muffins weren't invented in England or French fries in France . Sweetmeats are candies while sweetbreads, which aren't sweet, are meat. We take English for granted. But if we explore its paradoxes, we find that quicksand can work slowly, boxing rings are square and a guinea pig is neither from Guinea nor is it a pig.

And why is it that writers write but fingers don't fing, grocers don't groce and hammers don't ham? If the plural of tooth is teeth, why isn't the plural of booth, beeth? One goose, 2 geese. So one moose, 2 meese?
One index, 2 indices? Doesn't it seem crazy that you can make amends but not one amend? If you have a bunch of odds and ends and get rid of all but one of them, what do you call it?

If teachers taught, why didn't preachers praught? If a vegetarian eats vegetables, what does a humanitarian eat? Sometimes I think all the English speakers should be committed to an asylum for the verbally insane. In what language do people recite at a play and play at a recital? Ship by truck and send cargo by ship? Have noses that run and feet that smell?

How can a slim chance and a fat chance be the same, while a wise man and a wise guy are opposites? You have to marvel at the unique lunacy of a language in which your house can burn up as it burns down, in which you fill in a form by filling it out and in which, an alarm goes off by going on.

English was invented by people, not computers, and it reflects the creativity of the human race, which, of course, is not a race at all. That is why, when the stars are out, they are visible, but when the lights are out, they are invisible.

PS. - Why doesn't 'Buick' rhyme with 'quick'

Christmas is coming

2008-12-22T11:11:00.000-08:00

Wow another Christmas is coming in two days... The kids can't wait. December has been a busy month for them. It started on 7th December with a Christmas party at Church. They played games and watch an entertainer and had their face painted, not Andrew though, I am not too sure but I think he didn't want to wait in line. They saw the "pretend" Santa.
Andrew asked for a remote control car.
Matthew has reindeer painted across his face. He asked Santa for Lego.Natalie has a bear angel painted on her face and she asked Santa for a pink and a purple rubber ducky. How easy is that to find?

The following Sunday, we had the Edginton Christmas as Kyle's parents and Brother Tim and his family were going to Mexico for Christmas. They have already opened presents but they are still talking about Santa.

The "Edginton" grandkids having dinner.

Then there was the Christmas Concert on the 15th. The theme was Polar Express and the kids wore PJs. Andrew and Matthew was in the same concert and Andrew played the drums. Matthew was the English narrator for the whole half hour performance and did an awesome job. In between he also played the xylophone.

Here is a YouTube video of them practicing at home.

The Sunday that just passed, they spent the after with their cousin Erin and built a ginger bread train and went to McDonalds. That is a treat for them as their mum and dad do not take them there. That is only reserved for the grandparents and aunties and uncles. While they were gone we had a great visit with Pammy from Toronto. Wow no kids for the afternoon. After that we went to Aunty KitPings for dinner. It was the first day of Winter and any excuse for a dinner party. The kids had fun playing with her grand daughter, Emma, who is almot 10 months old. So much fun.

Party after party after party. Actually with all the partying, the kids are so tired at the end of the day, sometimes it is great. They were in bed by 7pm last night and Kyle and I were able to sneek out for a movie. What a treat for us!!

We have finished shopping and wrapped up all the presents. They kids watched a movie while Kyle and I sneaked off to wrap them. Couldn't risk them coming in while we were sneaking around!!

I am happy to add that I am singing with the midnight choir for Christmas this year again. I just love it. My brother Joel is leaving for Halifax on Christmas morning so we will have Christmas dinner on Christmas eve with his daughter Erin and then the whole family will go for the Childrens mass at 6:30pm. On Christmas day, since Kyle's parents won't be here, his sister Holly and her family will join us for a Chinese Christmas dinner. Can't have too much Turkey!!

I am looking forward to all that food...

My dad is better now and he is up to walking at the malls again. So I have decided to walk with them twice a week. I am starting my exercise routine before New Year!! I have to start getting ready for swimsuit weather. Talk about thinking positive. Not going to talk about the weather in Winnipeg...

Have a awesome Christmas everyone.

Blood Donation

2008-12-10T05:05:00.000-08:00

Just donated blood yesterday after about 10 years. I tried to donate last year but I couldn't because I was just in Costa Rica and have to wait for a year after returning before being able to donate. Malaria scare! The other years I was too busy having babies...

Usually when I go to donate blood, I can only give blood half of the time. I am on the border line of being low in iron. So when I went there, they prick your finger for a drop of blood, they put it in some liquid, can't remember what it is. If it sinks, you have enough iron in your blood. So mine was sinking and half way down, some floats to the surface. Ok, I thought, what is going on. So they do another proper test and everything is ok, the iron levels are sufficient!! Sometimes it is frustrating when you go and want to give and then can't donate.

So I give my blood. I always stress when they put the "big" needle in, took about 6 minutes for the pint of blood, I heard someone else it took a couple of minutes... I had an audience of 3 little Edgintons watching patiently. After donation they give you juice and cookies but the 3 of them all got cookies and juice before hand as they got stickers that said "Future Donors". Not a bad thing.

The whole thing took about an hour, they recommend having lots of water the day of donation and eat iron rich foods before hand so you don't have the iron problem I have.

I write this to share my experience. I know lots of you can and do donate blood and others do not. It is a little gift that you can share with other. One of those gifts that nature gave to us. Why not share it with others. Only an hour of your time. In some instances the blood donation center comes to your place of work and you don't even have to drive!! Think about it, some day you might need the blood. My dad's surgery had the potential of being postponed as they did not have enough blood for surgery. I encourage you to share your gift with others.

Dad is back from the Hospital

2008-11-22T04:48:00.000-08:00

So Dad was in the hospital for 2 weeks, a week longer than hoped. The valve surgery and bypass surgery was successful. Unfortunately he had fluid in his lungs a few days after surgery and had a blocked bile duct which complicated things. He is mostly recovered and is back home. Moving slow but ok. He still naps during the day and goes to bed early. He won't be driving for 6 weeks and mum doesn't drive. I am glad that we are able to be here to help them out with taking them to the store and doctors appointments. As long as we can squeeze them in between the kids activities...

Mum and Dad in hospital, a couple of days before coming home.

The kids are so excited that the snow is here

2008-11-14T05:02:00.000-08:00

The kids are so excited about the snow, they want to go sleding already. First signs of snow and they are out there making snow Angels!

The 3 Musketeers at Gandpa and Grandma's house.

Dad's surgery was successful - heart potion

2008-11-04T04:55:00.000-08:00

Everything was successful with dad's surgery. He ended up having 1 bypass instead of the 3-4 that they anticipated. Might have something to do with the heart potion that he had been taking for the last 2 months. Here is the email I received about it from my sister. It tastes bad at first and it feels like it is burning your belly. Follow the instructions and try it, my dad even got the ok from the doctor. Natural is best.

AN ARTICLE APPEARED IN ONE OF INDIA 'S NEWS PAPER, THERE WAS SOMEONE WHO WAS TOLD THAT HIS 3 ARTERIES WERE BLOCKED BUT AFTER THE ANGIO-GRAM, IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT 2 ARTERIES HAD OPENED AND THE DOCTOR WAS ASTONISHED. HE ASKED THE PERSON HOW THAT HAPPENED. A THE MAN REPLIED,THAT HE WENT TO HOMEOPATH FOR HERBAL MEDICINE AND THAT WAS THE RESULT.
THE DOCTOR TOLD HIM TO CARRY ON WITH INDIAN MEDICINES.

THE SAME ARTICLE WAS FOUND BY MURTAZA BANDALI WHO HAS A BOOK-SHOP IN WATFORD, LONDON . IT HAS HELPED MANY OF OUR BROTHERS AS A MAGIC AND SHOWS THE RESULT IN FEW DAYS TIME.

1 CUP GARLIC (GRIND)
1 CUP GINGER, GRIND.
1 CUP LIME JUICE, (NOT LEMON) , ''LIMBOO ''
1 CUP 'APPLE 'CIDER VINEGAR

MIX IT AND BOIL AT LOW HEAT, UNTIL 3 CUPS ARE LEFT.
THEN TAKE IT OUT FROM THE HEAT AND WAIT UNTIL IT GETS COLD.
WHEN IT IS COLD, ADD 3 CUPS OF HONEY,

MIX IT THOUROUGHLY, AND HAVE ONE TABLE SPOONFUL, FIRST THING IN THE MORNING BEFORE BREAKFAST.

AFTER FEW MINUTES, ENJOY YOUR BREAKFAST.
IT REALLY WORKS WONDER!!!
KEEP THE BOTTLE IN THE FRIDGE FOR NEXT DAY'S USE

Baby Sibling

2008-10-25T04:19:00.000-07:00

I asked Natalie if she wanted a little brother or sister and she said No. So I asked her if she was my baby and again she said no. So I asked her who is Mummy's baby and she said Andrew. Sometimes she thinks she is the older sibling!

Fall in Winnipeg

2008-10-18T13:18:00.001-07:00

What a beautiful day it was today. We took the kids to St Vital Park for a little hike. A rare 14ºC for a Winnipeg Fall day.

Natalie

Andrew

Matthew

Andrew and Natalie

The kids raking the leaves at Poh Poh and Kong Kong's house.

Peanut Allergy

2008-10-16T06:47:00.000-07:00

As everyone knows, Andrew has a peanut allergy, we had him tested again this summer and he is also allergic to mold, dust mites, cats and dogs, maybe horses. After the test, we sent him for a blood test for the allergies and it came back negative for peanuts. We were hopeful that he might outgrow it.

So we went for a peanut challenge with the allergist. Introducing peanut slowing into his system. First on his lips, then ingesting it little bit at a time using peanut butter on a cracker. He came up to two crackers with lots of peanut butter on it, he struggled to eat it. I wasn't sure if he had enough to eat of whether he wasn't feeling so good. When he finished eating it, he continued playing and then he started complaining about tummy pains. I took him to the bathroom twice and nothing came out. By this time, he was scratching and rubbing his eyes. He started having hives on his body, like little mosquito bites. He was having an allergic reaction, he was getting cranky and wanted me to hold him. So the doctor gave him an epinerphine shot, she told Andrew to count to 10 and then he would feel better. It was amazing, after 10 he felt better. Just like that. She said that if he didn't get the shot, he could have thrown up and just gotten worse. After that we had to stay in the office for another three hours to make sure nothing else happened. What a day!

I wasn't stress as I knew we were in good hands. It was really educational for us. Knowing and understanding what to look for when he is having an allergic reaction. It seemed like it was nothing and he was a little cranky, and rubbing his eyes and a little bit of scratching of the hives. At home I might have just brushed it off and it could have gotton worse. Poor little guy. After that shot though, it didn't take very long for him to get back to normal. It was like a wonder drug.

So Andrew is still allergic to peanuts, has an epi-pen which he wears around his waist(he is old enough to take charge of it) in a little pouch that I made and a medic alert braclet. So much responsibility for a little guy.

Anyways, I wanted to share with you. If any of you are purchasing a twinject epi-pen in Canada, there is a special that gives a fee medic alert bracelet with your purchase. Check it out here. http://www.twinject.ca/ It expires on the 30th of April 2009
In the US, there is $20 rebate for your purchase. It is on their site http://www.twinject.com Not sure when that one ends.

Well the rest of the family is doing well. Matthew is doing well in school and is preparing for reconciliation, to do his first confession. He is reading and writing really well in English. We are are not sure about french, no homework yet but he can say things to us in French and he seems to understand his teacher.

Natalie, has a busy schedule. She is doing her gymnastics once a week, religion classes and goes to the library for her story time. She keeps me hopping. On Friday mornings, I take Andrew and Natalie to the neighborhood pool for free swim. It is really nice as the water is warm, no blue lips for my skinny kids.

Andrew loves school, always smiling when he gets on the bus. The eight 5 yr olds on the bus were complaining about where to sit so now they have sitting assignments for them. So funny!

It is so much fun to listen to them at dinner discussing what happened in school during the day. Most days, they include Natalie in their conversations. So precious. I am bless with these three darlings, sometimes devils, only sometimes...

Well we are enjoying the fall colors and the loads of geese flying and settling around, spending most of our time indoors though. Not too much biking. It is pretty cold and the kids are looking forward to the snow.

The boys are back at school

2008-09-15T06:40:00.000-07:00

Andrew just started kindergarten and really enjoys it. He goes on the bus at noon with 3 other kids and comes home on the bus with Matthew.

Here is Andrew and Natalie waiting for the bus.

Andrew (first day of school) with Jerry the bus driver.

Mum and Natalie getting both boys home on the bus.

Every other day, Matthew is biking the 4.5km to school. It is pretty chilly at 7:45am so we have him bundled all up with bandana and neck warmer. He bikes with Kyle, so Kyle gets his exercise and then picks him up at the end of the day. Matthew just learnt to bike on 2 wheels only about 3 weeks ago! (He is doing awesome)

One week later, Andrew got rid of his training wheels. He is going to bike home from school today!

Natalie not to be left behind, gave up her tricycle for training wheels.
She wants to go on the trails with the boys so she has been asking to have her training wheels removed. I won't be surprised if she is on two wheels soon.

I love Summer, I love Warm Weather

2008-08-26T03:03:00.000-07:00

Summer in Winnipeg is great, sometimes the mosquitoes can get to you but there are ways to prevent it! minor problem.

We have been spending a lot of time outdoors:
Hanging out in the back yard,

Hiking at WhiteShell Provincial Park with my kids and my mum and dad,

Going to the Beach,

Camping and relaxing at the fire pit with friends, Hannah and Luc,

Going on a Roller Coaster Ride at TinkerTown with Meagan(Natalie went Twice!)

and handing out in the Park

I love just being able to slip on our shoes and out the door, no jackets, no show boots....
Wonder why we are going to Costa Rica?

The kids are having a blast and so are we. I think my favourite past time is hanging and playing with the kids... I am fortunate to have the opportunity do just that. You can do whatever you want.

From my last post, someone asked me what Wizard camp was and here is a brief description I took off the sales page. You can have both, money and a fulfilling life!

"There is no greater skill than the ability to manifest what you want. This is the magic of the wizard!

The wizard archetype, also known as the magician or alchemist, is able to turn “lead into gold”. The unique quality of the wizard is an ability to manifest their desires in the real world. There are 7 specific steps to creating anything. At Wizard Training Camp, you will learn and practice these steps and come away with skills that will change the course of your life.

You will learn:

A highly developed “reality creation” technology.
Specific clearing processes to make space for higher wisdom.
Enlightened principles for creating success without struggle.
How to tap directly into your intuition.
How to see through the illusion of the world and come from a higher perspective.

The Wizard Training is special. If you would like to learn how to manifest exactly what you want in the world, be there."

Summer is a beautiful time

2008-07-24T08:54:00.000-07:00

Kyle and I have just returned from a trip to BC. We were on course in Squamish BC, it was awesome. The weather was great and we met some pretty amazing people, that is our group picture.
The course was 1 week and we spent a few days after in Seattle visiting Cornelia, Victor and the kids. Did some sight seeing and then hopped on a ferry and went to visit Aunt Mary and Uncle Lloyld in Victoria. We flew from Victoria to Vancouver on a sea plane. That was a great experience. If you ever get a chance it is worth it. The views are spectacular and if you are not in a hurry, you can go last minute and get a deal on the price. The highest they fly is only 2500ft.

The kids spent a week with my parents and then a week with Kyle's parents. The had a great time. Thank goodness for family. Here is a picture of them with grandpa Edginton.
Andrew just turned five and Natalie three. The are growing fast. Natalie always says that she is a big girl. When we returned from our trip, we went to Bird's Hill provincial park for their birthday party. Here are some pictures.
Erin(cousin), Matthew and Andrew in the sand.

We had to protect the candles from the wind.

Natalie cutting her cake.

Kyle making lunch with his sister Holly.

We are enjoying the Manitoba summer and spending time with family and friends. We are off camping at a friends place this weekend and looking forward to it. I do hope everyone has a good summer.

Happy Canada Day

2008-07-02T02:20:00.000-07:00

Canada Day in Winnipeg
We all went down to the Forks Market Downtown and had a great time. We went early afternoon and caught a couple of shows. Even daddy had to do a little performance.

The kids did some crafts,(that is Natalie with the little blue hat)

and everyone had their face painted.

(Mummy was taking the pictures, no face painting for her!)
Another fun day in the sun!

My Soccer Stars

2008-06-25T03:57:00.000-07:00

Matthew and Andrew are finished their soccer for the season. They had an awesome time. Matthew was the most improved player in his team and Andrew was the one that shot the most goals in his team. It was busy in our household with soccer Mondays to Thursdays. Now that soccer is done, they have a bit more free time to play in the back yard together. We fill the mini pool everyday and they have a blast!

Here are some pictures from soccer and their fans.

I cut Natalie's hair

2008-06-20T03:22:00.000-07:00

June 4th 2008. I finally did the deed. I cut Natalie's hair. Almost 3 years of growing it and and I did it. It was beautiful, unfortunately it was time. Here are some pictures of the process. I will donate her hair to Angel Hair for Kids Program too!

30th Manitoba Marathon

2008-06-16T02:44:00.001-07:00

I was there. No I didn't run but I was in the thick of things. Every Father's Day on our way to church, we would see the roads closed for the marathon and every time I think, wouldn't it be great to be there. There were about 14,000 participants and about 2,000 volunteers. I didn't want to run so I decided to volunteer. I had the best volunteer position!

My friend, Linsey and I were hosts, We just walked around the crowd before the start to answer any questions. Then we were placed at the start line of the half marathon to make sure the runners didn't trip over the equipment so I saw them take off. What an exciting place to be. Front row seats!! I was standing... Just like you see on TV except that I was there.

Once everyone was off, we moved over to the stadium towards the finish. There they put us on the path to guide the athletics back into the stadium. I was next to all the runner that came through. It was amazing to see the concentration on their faces. The determination! I saw lots of friends, all of them doing the half marathon. I keep thinking maybe I could do this, I just have to get over the fact that I have to run for over 2 hours for a half marathon, plus all that training time. Maybe someday, another goal?!?

Another Triathlon

2008-06-11T03:29:00.000-07:00

So I did it! My second triathlon. I did it with Kyle. The sun was shining when I work up first thing in morning so I decided that today was the day. We did the triathlon at Bird's Hill park. The water was 16C and we survived. I really enjoyed the outdoor swim, it was a good experience trying not to swim over people or into people! Learnt lots. I said that I would do a triathlon with a pool swim and a open swim. 2 in 8 days! I was pretty tired after. Here are a couple of pictures.

I am a triathlete

2008-06-04T19:43:00.000-07:00

Sunday June 1st was our 12th Wedding anniversary. It was also the date of my first triathlon. It was so much fun. I did the 3o0m swim, 15km bike and 5km run in 65 minutes. I think I am hooked. I was such an inspiration to Kyle that he is doing his first triathlon this Sunday. Only difference is that it is an open water swim. The temperature of the water is 18C. That is pretty cold! He is a trooper. I havn't decided whether I want to do it yet, I am not a fan of the cold water. It will be a different experience. Watch my blog next week to see what happens. Here are a few picturess from last Sunday. You can see Matthew my support group cheering "加油", "add oil".....

Celebrating Men Satisfying Women

2008-05-28T04:04:00.000-07:00

Just came back from New York and attended an awesome course. Wow, there is so much about men we don't know about. You know how women always tease men that they know nothing about women, well there is a lot about men we don't know about. I think if we all took the time to learn about men, everyone would get along better!! They are more complicated that we think! Working on the website now, will send out it soon.

Sandy and I had an awesome time in New York. We stayed with my cousin Denise, unfortunately she was out of town so we only saw her the one night. The course was 2 days and Sandy and I stayed for a few extra days and did the tourist things and shopping. I got a chance to meet up with a couple of friends too. I feel blessed for having great friends all over the world. We did the China town purse shopping thing, that was an experience... We made it to Central Park too, that's me(with hair) enjoying the greenery. It rained most days we were there so eveything was so lush! I love New York!

Try-A-Tri Trialthon

2008-05-04T20:27:00.000-07:00

Every year I need to do something for myself, last year was my fund raiser and this year on June 1st our 12th wedding anniversary, I am going to do a mini triathlon. I thought about doing one before I conceived Natalie. Since I thinking about having another child, I figured that training for a triathlon wouldn't have been a good idea, especially getting pregnant halfway through the training. So 4 years later, I am going to do it. I have registered, and have been training for the last couple of months and am very excited. I have 2 friends from High school Audrey and Nicola that are going to join me. It is going to be tons of fun.

The mini-triathlon is a 300m swim, 15 km bike ride and a 3 km run. I have been able to do all the distances, only thing left is to do them together. This Friday, I will be doing the bike/run part, as long as it doesn't snow again. This is Winnipeg after all, it snowed this afternoon which melted couple hours later. I have a friend Todd from Calgary that is a Triathlon coach that has been giving me pointers. He said the first time, the most important thing is completing it and getting that t-shirt! The event is at the University so it is about a 10 minute bike ride away and then Kyle can bring the "cheerleader" later on when the event starts!

Vancouver is so beautiful

2008-04-28T17:04:00.000-07:00

I just returned from a short trip to Vancouver. It is so beautiful there. It was a tad chilly but no rain. I walked about 1km to the course everyday and it was just so refreshing even the morning. The blossoms were in full bloom too so it was gorgeous. I really like Vancouver for their nature loving and planet saving ideas. I loved the smell of the ocean too!

I stayed with Jessica and Dean. It was so nice to catch up with them, it had been a few years since I last saw them in Ottawa. I ate really well while I was there. We had fancy breakfast and lunch at the course and in the evenings we ate out or Dean cooked. Boy was I spoilt! I put on a few pounds. Good thing I did managed to go out for a run one evening.... I ran to Stanley park from Dean and Jessica's which is about 3km away. Didn't go into the park though, I wasn't too sure I would make it back to their place if I tried running in there.

I saw Sean and Teresa and we played a game of Mahjong. So much fun. I also caught up with Mark Humphries, people I used to work together at BNI, Winnipeg before 2000!

Glad to be home, missed the Kyle and the kids. We talked everyday but I was so busy at the course everyday and there was tons of homework. In a way it was nice not to have the distractions of home and just being able to concentrate.
I look forward to going out to Vancouver again to seeing everyone and enjoying the beautiful city.

Matthew is turning 7

2008-04-05T18:57:00.000-07:00

Wow that was so fast. Matthew will be 7 on the 10th of April. Today we had a birthday party for him and his friends. We made a cake together and decorated with gummy bears. So everyone had more than one gummy bear on their cake as long as Natalie didn't eat it first! The kids decorated their own pizza, and we had a great lunch. I am very proud of Matthew and want to share a video that he made a couple of weeks ago.

The house is Ottawa is sold

2008-03-04T04:51:00.000-08:00

We are officially houseless. They took possession last week on the 28th of Feb. Do you believe in "Vision Boards"? Well I do. The house wasn't selling and I thought, why don't I put something on my vision board? So I took a picture of our house, wrote "sold" across the front and wrote the words "The house on 261 Stoneway drive will sell before the 4th of February". Guess what? It sold on the 3rd!! Why didn't I just do that earlier?

Here are a couple of pictures of the crew. Matthew will be 7 in a month. Andrew and Natalie will be 5 and 3 in July!

Spring is Around the Corner

2008-02-27T20:50:00.000-08:00

The temperature is rising. The snow is melting and the sun is shinning. Actually the sun always shines in Winnipeg. The kids are playing outside alot. The boys are into climbing trees, so naturally Natalie has to follow. Unfortunately with the snowsuit, it is hard to manuvure and she gets stuck and can't come down. Mummy to the rescue!

Middle of Winter

2008-02-19T08:58:00.000-08:00

It is the middle of February and it is very cold here in Winnipeg. -28C and -45C with the windchill. March is a few days away and Spring is around the corner. The flowers will be blooming and we will be able to play outside again. Not that we can't right now, it is just that it is a little uncomfortable. I am a little bit of a whimp. Costa Rica looks real good now.

Things are coming along really well. Kyle is working on his real estate and also has a mentor which keeps him on track. Check out his website.
His website is http://www.kgerealestate.com/

Kyle has also been taking advantage of the winter and using his cross country skis. As my parents house backs onto the lake, when it is not too cold, he goes for a ski, great exercise. After the ski, he comes home to soak in the hot tub. We are really spoilt here at my parents place. We both have been making a point of getting out to the gym or doing some sort of exercise 3 times a week(never together) and it has worked out well.

I am doing my internet marketing, I have a few websites out. There is so much to learn and most of what I have learnt is from Armand Morin. I have created a little blog (short clip) on the product that I have been using. The site is
http://internet-marketing-explained-ime.blogspot.com/
Download and read the free report to see what he has to offer.

While I was on course, one of the speakers I met was Marci Shimoff. She wrote a book called "Happy for No Reason". I can totally related to that. I am currently reading it and will write a review on it shortly. That site is http://www.happy-for-no-reason.blogspot.com/
There is a link to order it if you would like to get a copy for yourself.

Matthew is doing well. He is in Grade 1 French immersion and his French is coming along really well. Once in a while a you hear him saying a word in French. He is always correcting me when I attempt to say a French word. Today the school went to "Festival du Voyageur ", the French winter festival. They had maple taffy and saw the snow sculptures. I can't believe it they went. I think today has been one of the coldest days of the year. He is quite tired. He really enjoys school. Matthew's piano is coming along well. He is really good at it. Practicing is another story. It is like pulling teeth, doesn't like it, I guess it cuts into his play time. We practice in the morning before he goes to school while he is still fresh. Trying to practicing after school is harder.

Andrew is doing well too. He is still mummy's boy. He is going pre-school once a week. I signed him up a couple of weeks ago and he wasn't going. Kyle and Matthew were encouraging him and telling how much fun he would have and he would have none of that. Not too sure what Kyle said to him the morning of his first day. He was excited about going and we couldn't leave soon enough. We did the 10 minute walk to school. When we arrived, he did not hesitate to tell me that he was tired and didn't know how he was going to make the walk home. So when I picked him up, I brought the sled and pull him home. We came home the back way over the lake. It was so funny, Andrew was hesitant to walk across even though he had seen his dad ski over it and other people playing on it. I guess he didn't have the concept of the lake freezing. He just knew it was a lake with water.

Natalie is still busy as ever. She is talking up a storm. She just had her first sleep over at her cousin Erin's house. Actually she had a sleep over with Matthew and Andrew too. I don't think I could have not sent her along with the boys. She does whatever the boys do. Sometime that is good, other times.... She is still enjoying her gymnastics. She is so flexible and loves to climb and tumble. She is so strong too for her little 26lb body. Oh I finally cut her hair for real, the other picture is a photoshop creativity. Actually I cut her bangs. It was tough for me as this was her first ever hair cut. I braided it and have kept it. Now at least the hair is out of her face.

My parents left for Malaysia to visit my sister yesterday for about 3 months. They are be enjoying the warm humid hair. It will be a great for them to be away for the rest of the winter. They will do some travelling while they are there visiting friends and family. It is a little different at home, 2 less people makes a difference. Natalie asked for them yesterday, guess she didn't understand when we told her that she won't see them for 108 days.

We are all doing well here and loving it. We see Kyle's parents a couple time a month as they live out in the country. The kids adore them too and love hanging out with them. I am really glad that we have the opportunity to be so close to family for everyone to bond.

Happy New Year

2008-01-12T05:04:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year to all. I do hope Santa has been good to everyone. He was define good to me. We had a great Christmas with the whole family, and there was no rushing around like when we fly in. It was a whole weeks of eating. The first dinner was on the 22nd , the first day of winter. The Chinese like to celebrate it, so mum make "steam boat" which is a chinese fondue, instead of oil, food is cooked in soup. Then sis-in-law on 23rd, we had Kyle's parents in for lunch on the 24th for lunch Christmas lunch at my parents on the 25th and then dinner at Kyle's brother. The rest of the week, we spent at Kyle's parents at the country where we constantly eat and then we were back for the big Yap Christmas dinner on the 29th as my brother was away for Christmas. I became very sluggish over the holiday time as expected but we are back to normal now. The gym is open again and it is amazing what the difference one week of being active does. I feel good again. This is going to be another awesome year!

2007 was an awesome year we did some pretty amazing things and met some amazing people. I ended the year with a course I attended with Armand Morin, an internet marketing expert. It was amazing and I have learned tons from him and still learning which I am putting into action right now. The event was in Las Vegas at the Red Rock Casino and spa. I was able to meet up with some of my friends from other courses so it made it that more memorable. The Red Rock is really far from the strip but a very elegant hotel. I really like it there, unfortunately Kyle was in LA on another course so it was me and my two roommates.

2008 has started off with a blast, literally. We went to a house party at Yolande's place and she lives close to the "Forks" where the fireworks were held. It was only 10 minutes, good thing too, as it was pretty cold. Took us 15 minutes to dress up, 5 minute walk to see a 10 minute display. Kids love it and so did I so it was all worth it.

I am working on my different websites and eBay. Kyle and I are going to look at an investment property here in Winnipeg this afternoon. The kids have started their gymnastics and piano and Chinese classes. Our life is busy again. My Spanish lessons are on hold right now till we go to Costa Rica. I figure I would do classes when we get there so that I can practice right away. I didn't get too much chance to practice here and it wasn't progressing well. Give more time to work on my businesses.

We have also received drawings for our house in CR. We are reviewing it with architects. It is so exciting. Will post a couple when it is a little more finalized. We will have a guest house too, enough space for lots of visitors...

Last weekend, we did what many Manitobans have been doing since the Canadian money got stronger, we drove down to Grand Forks, ND, 2 hours away for cross border shopping. We told the boys that they could pick their Christmas present this year and that is what they did. They were so excited and they had a great time picking out toys at Target and was great for us as they had their post Christmas sale!! We stayed with Diane Brorby who lives 20 minutes from Grand Forks and had a great weekend hanging out.

We have been playing outside with the kids lots too. There is a park down the street from my parents place so we go tobagganing/sliding there with the boys. Natalie doesn't like the sled too much. She won't even ride in it(on level ground) to the park. She prefers to walk, unlike the boys who want to ride. I miss my double stroller. What a great investment that was. Kids are too old. While we were in Grand Forks, at the mall, it was a fight from the 3 for the 2 strollers that we had. Why walk when you can ride!!

Costa Rica Is So Beautiful

2007-11-22T08:30:00.000-08:00

So it is official. We've bought a piece of land in the southern pacific side of Costa Rica in a little town called Ojohol. It has a beautiful view of the mountains and a distant view of the ocean. We are off in the hills, so the roads are a little rough from the coastal highway. We will have to get a 4x4. From the highway it is about 5 minutes to the closest beach Playa Ventana. There are a few beaches close by that is great for surfing too. It is so green there and wildlife are plentiful. We saw Toucans and Macaws fly and land on the tress right in front of us. Wow, I thought that I would only see those in a zoo.

This picture is of the "Whale's tail", in the Whale Marine national park. Very good for snorkling here. The sky cleared enough while we were flying there for us to snap this picture.

Life will be totally different. No one is ever in a hurry there, everything is "10 minutes". Something we will have to adapt to. I am just looking forward to the "warm winters". They consider their rainy season(September-October) the winter season. We almost didn't make it to Ojochal from San Jose(capital of Costa Rica). For one there is only one flight a day in the morning and it rained 14 inches the night before we arrived and it was still cloudy in the morning. If the pilots cannot see the landing strip, they will not land the plane. The airport in Palmar Sur right now is just a strip surrounded by an oil palm plantation. The new airport due in 2010 will have runway lights so it can cater to larger planes can land at any time of the day.

Even though we are in the middle of nowhere, there are many things to do, places to see and restaurants. There are German, French and Dutch restaurants, just to name a few and even a French bakery. You can go birdwatching, snorkling, kayaking in the ocean and hiking to the waterfall. If you don't want to hike, there is a ATV tour that takes you to the waterfalls. I coudl do all these things when I am here or just enjoy the peace...

There are so many great investment opportunities here too. It is amazing. Let us know if you want to join us down here or just buy some investment properties. I will help as much as I can or at least steer you in the right direction.

Pix of kids haircuts

2007-10-10T18:53:00.001-07:00

Some people have asked for more pictures of the kids. We just cut their hair, how do you like the reverse mohawks?

Happy Thanksgiving

2007-10-08T20:41:00.001-07:00

Thanksgiving in Winnipeg

There is lots to be thankful for. We have a great family who are supportive of us on our crazy journey and our kids who just go with the flow and all our friends who will help and push us all along at the drop of a hat. We are so lucky.

I want to give a big thanks to all my friends who supported me in my fund raiser for the Children's Hospital in Ottawa(CHEO). I raised $5ooo. I was really happy how it turned out and I have learned lots about fundraising. The hair is growing back. It will take a while to grow it out again. It is literally wash and go.

So for those of you that don't know about our journey, we have decided to move to Costa Rica and invest in some rental properties too. We will be building a house out there and the plan is to go out there next fall. So we sold all of our possessions in Ottawa except the house which is still on the market and moved in with my parents in Winnipeg. The transition has been smooth and we are all enjoying being with all the family.

We have been doing some renovations in my parents place. They have a beautiful house on a lake and they don't plan on moving but it needed some TLC since nothing has be done for almost 20 years. This has kept us busy and learning Spanish takes time..... Kyle and I also got a gym membership at the University. Since we were both registered for Spanish there, we were considered students so we got the student rate. They have the pool there and squash courts and a full gym and track. What more could we ask for!!

We are heading down to Costa Rica at the end of the month with my parents to check it out. It is still the rainy season so if we can handle the crappy weather we can survive there. It is exciting and I am looking forward to going down. Matthew will stay with his cousin for a week here in Winnipeg as they go to the same school. Andrew and Natalie will stay with Kyle's parents for the week.

Will post more after our trip with lots of pictures. Check back again then.

We are in Winnipeg

2007-09-19T03:27:00.000-07:00

So we have made it to Winnipeg. The 4 day drive from Ottawa was awesome and the kids did so well. We never ended up camping much to Matthew's disappointment, there is always next summer.

The kids have settled well in life with the grandparents. We are in their 3 bedroom bunglow. The 3 kids are sharing a room(just like in Ottawa) and we have converted the living room, which wasn't really being used into the kids play room. Keeps the mess in one area. Thank goodness for basements. Kyle's work area is in the basement along with some of our stuff in storage. The rest is in the garage. We got rid of so much stuff and we still have lots. Photo albums, books, things that you can't get rid of. Good thing my dad has a 2 car garage. More storage room.

We have been here for 2 weeks and life is already hectic. The boys are in piano lessons, the 3 kids in are in gymnastics, the 3 boys are taking Mandarin lessons and Kyle and I are taking Spanish lesson. I knew as the kids grew older things would get busier. Keeps us out of trouble.

We are settling into a little bit of a routine. It is really nice living with the parents. Mum does most of the cooking and there is always someone in the house if we need to run out for a few minutes. Don't have to spend the extra time getting the kids ready and taking them all with you. They can also stay home if they just don't want to go. Most times the kids are with us anyways, they don't want to leave their mummy and daddy. Kyle and I can take Spanish lessons together and my mum will look after the kids. I am so spoilt!