Wednesday, October 31, 2007

Monday, October 29, 2007

10 Years

It is 10 years today that my Dad died, it seems so I don't know? Like how can time have passed so fast?

I think back and it like WOW it was 20 years ago that he suffered his 1st major heart attack. He was 37 and the Dr's worked and worked until they had him back, he had so many shocks his chest was actually burnt from the paddles. That started a long 10 year battle, with basically living.

He started out with a pacemaker, which lasted for only a bit. Then he moved onto a defibrillator, I remember looking at this little metal box we found among his stuff and was amazed that at one time this has been in his chest, shocking his heart back into rhythm if needed. He always said that it was an unnerving feeling when it did that.

When he finally was put on the transplant list he was excited yet nervous. The time had come though, you could always tell when he was sicker as his hair that was normally curly would go straight (??? meds I guess). He spent a long time in London, ON waiting. He loved it out there and he was so good a making new friends. He met a boy/man? I guess he was 21 or so, out there and they became fast friends. he was crushed when Chris died. He was the son he never had.

But he got his transplant and it didn't take long to realize that he had a "perfect match" as they called it. The Dr's were amazed at how well a match he had. He came home and started living again.

All was good until the following spring and he went to the hospital sick, and this is where a very sad/unnecessary chain of events happened that when all was said and done his new heart was ruined, and basically his new heart ended up back where he had began at.

One night he went to bed and just never woke up, at the age of 47. It was really rather peace full considering all he had been thru. I was in Toronto on the truck with Bruce when my Mom got a hold of me. That was the longest ride back to Winnipeg ever.

My Dad was a good man, and it was always ironic that his most generous feature his heart was the one that betrayed him. He had such an infectious laugh and it is so nice to hear my youngest sister laugh it is our Dad all over again.

So that is some about my Dad, thought I'd share it with you all this day of remembrance.


Sunday, October 28, 2007

10-20-30

I've been tagged by A B C to do this meme that asks What Were You Doing 10, 20 and 30 years ago.

So lets see 10 years ago I was marrying the love of my life on a beautiful day in May. It would have been my Grandparents 50th wedding anniversary that day and year so it was extra special to me. I was the mother of a 3 year old and I worked at a nursing home caring for the elderly. I lived in Winnipeg at the time, although we had tried a stint at living in Calgary, AB with my in-laws (yes I said I lived with my in-laws) which was wrong on so many levels but that is a book for another day.



20 years ago I entered my teen years, exactly where Morgyn is today. How did my mother survive 4 of us? and not kick some serious ass leaves me in awe! Times were different then I guess. I cheated and googled back to 1997 LOL and I totally remember listening to this music
1."Open Your Heart" ... Madonna
2."Livin' on a Prayer" ... Bon Jovi (see my love for them goes waaaaay back)
3 ."Jacob's Ladder" ... Huey Lewis and the News
4."Lean on Me" ... Club Nouveau
5."Nothing's Going to Stop Us Now" ... Starship
6."I Knew You Were Waiting" ... Aretha Franklin & George Michael
7."Died in Your Arms" ... Cutting Crew
8."With or Without You" ... U2
9."You Keep Me Hangin' On" ... Kim Wilde
10."Always" ... Atlantic Starr

30 years ago (sigh wow that sounds so long ago) I was 3. Yup just a little older than Jillian. I don't remember much about that time. I lost my Nanny that year, just days after I had turned 3. That is one thing I can say has left a void in my life I have always missed. All I know is what I was told about her and I, and it is heartbreaking to think how we missed out on the love of this wonderful woman.

While doing this is made me think of how significant different times in your life can be, but how they all come together later in life.

Now I can only hope that A B C shows up as the person who tagged me? (Nope had to remove what I had there since it wasn't right) If not anyone that reads this feel free to leave a long detailed comment as to how I can insert people I whos blogs I read onto posts. I just can't seem to figure it out??

Oh ya and I tag Chelle/Jolene/Kristi if you guys happen to come by :-) (and anyone else really, leave a comment if you do I would love to read your posts)

Wednesday, October 17, 2007

Off to see


Brad Paisley tonight! He is so fun and has such great songs, I mean come on who gets a hit out of a song about "Ticks" lol.

With any luck or at least that is what my husband is praying for this will be my last concert for awhile. I went to Nickelback this past August (and yes they freakin ROCKED it) and then Keith Urban last month. I have had my fair share this year.

Do I dare tell him I'm lusting after Bon Jovi tickets for this December?? Probably not or I'm betting he would confiscate my credit cards LOL.

*update* Well the concert was awesome! Brad Paisley puts on a great show. Our seats were probably the best I have ever had, you could almost reach out and touch him it seemed.

Monday, October 15, 2007

Life With a 2 Year Old

Wow it has been awhile since my last post.

But on with life with a 2 year old. It would seem being on my 3 daughter this would be old hand, but not so much. Jillian is so different that her older sisters were at that age she leaves me in constant amazement. Well that and sometimes constant banging my head on the wall. This girl is mix of everything. She is sweet, loveable, stubborn, bossy, playful, helpful, cute as a button, trouble, smart and lately it seems as if she might have been a Mexican jumping bean in a previous life ;-)

Now that Morgyn and Kamryn are in school full time it is just us from 8:30am - 3:35pm. I think she is enjoying not having to share Momma with anyone and has decided naps are NOT for her. Oh joy. It works well until about 5:00 and then the horns start to appear. But during the day she loves to help "clean". The new favorite word is "sur"e. Well that and noOpe, that one she has mastered. Every morning after I read the paper, and she has learned well let Momma read the paper 1st then we can do her favorite puzzle (my paper is my coffee in the morning). This morning she was so funny I had just put the paper down and she comes over "Momma, paper done? Come puzzle"

The jumping thing?? My Aunt keeps telling me she is our boy in disguise, she jumps everywhere and has NO fear whatsoever. It scares me a bit. But she jumps up the stairs, down the stairs, from the loveseat to the footstool to the chair, from the arm of the couch onto the couch, the bed and her crib! It is crazy. But it's always see Momma "jumping".

This kid is funny she has the Puss in Boots look down pat minus the hat and stands there with the "look" and her hands together as if she were "praying". "Pease Momma Pease" the kid is good!!


When it comes to supper time she is learning to set the table, usually it is a fight with Kamryn who puts on what but in the end it gets done and while we may have some knives and forks upside down, sideways LOL it gets done. She also loves to "put" away the vacuum, it is something else to watch her take her little foot and press the button to retrack the cord back in.

The other day we were spelling her name so she would repeat what I said, or try.
She does well but the L's trip her up, which would probably explain why she calls her Auntie Liz - Auntie Dick?? But as we spelled I would say J and she would repeat all the way to A instead of A she says B! It was kinda funny.

But if anything the days/moments she drives me bonkers and scares the crap out of me jumping are made up with the "wuv you" she has come to say. She can melt hearts with that one.