Another weekend has come and gone.........

It's amazing how fast the time goes!!
This weekend we did a lot of little jobs around the house that needed doing, went hiking and Saturday night we went over to my bro's for dinner with mom.
It was the first we had seen the happy couple since getting back from their honeymoon Sunday night. They both look fabulous, tanned and in love!! Newlyweds!
Michael wanted Antz to help him put together the surround sound and test the rum he brought back from Jamaica. So, from 8 till 1 am they drank rum and coke's and tried to figure out how the wireless system worked.
It was not an easy project I tell ya,.....you have to be a tech whiz to figure all that crap out!

The best part about the weekend though was that we bought our crib today. We have been looking for awhile at crib's and the style that we wanted. But today, we took the plunge and made the purchase.......we are grinning from ear to ear.
Because we are at the end stage of our domestic adoption, we wanted to have the room ready for our agency visit in a week and a half.

It's so exciting to think that we are going to actually put the room together. We have been holding off for fear that we would somehow jinx ourselves. Our adoption journey has been such a roller coaster, how could we not have hidden anxiety about it??

But, we are so ready for all of this and I cant wait to see the room put together.
The crib was the kind that we always wanted to get.......it converts to a day bed and/or a double bed! It's a beautiful solid cherry wood and it will look perfect with the other furniture in the room!

Isn't it gorgeous!!!!!

Patti & I in line


Saturday morning Patti and I (along with Antz and others) lined up at the crack of dawn to go to a book sale put on by a publishing company.

A girl we work with, Liana, got us the invite to go to this once a year warehouse sale. It started at 10, but she said that people start lining up at 7 in the morning......

linning up......WHAT???%$^&

When I told hubby that we had to get up 6:30 to get ready to go stand in line for a few hours to get into a book sale he looked at me like I was drunk!

But, low and behold.....there we were outside, standing in line on Saturday morning with our Timmies. And it was so worth it.

All kids books were 1-3 dollars.......big, beautiful,new,recent & classic books!!

So, we stocked up.......books of all different shapes and sizes and for all age groups.

We even found some adoption books for kids!!

It was mgical......like being set free in the worlds largest chapters....a dream come true.

So, now we have a little mini library for our little ones!

I started in my new position at the Funeral Home......Director of Operations.....

Wow, it sure has been an overwhelming week.....

It is a very large chapel and though I have been working there for the last few years, I have been acting as a Funeral Director, Specializing in estate issues. So, I did not really pay that much attention to the coming and goings of all the staff and their daily duties.

Being thrust into the role of now being in charge of co-ordinating those daily duties and making sure the day is staffed accordingly can be a tricky task in an uncertain, last minute changing sort of environment. On top of that, I have been making funeral arrangements for people in advance of their death for the last five years and now I am making arrangements for families after the death has occurred. It feels like it has been forever since I have done this...and working with a new computer system......it has been a hectic two weeks.

I can say though, that everything is going really well. Of course there is some resistance from some of the staff with the new changes, but that is to be expected. Some people don't take well to changes and with the implementation of my new role has been coming some new policies and procedures in order to stream line the day to day operations.

It has been a challenge in which I am thriving in and enjoying every day!!

Last week we had the privilege of babysitting my nephew Tyler for the week while his mom & dad were on their honeymoon in Jamaica.
We were so excited to be "fill in parents" for a week!!
Tyler was an absolute angel child, he is always so polite and well behaved it is never a problem having him over.
Both Antz and I enjoyed every minute of his stay.....
Of course it was an eye opener, realizing how much work children are.....its constant non stop.
From the moment we got in the door from work to the moment we went to bed it was go go go.
With us both working full time, it was a bit of a juggling act.....when we got home from work Antz would go over homework with him while I made dinner. By the time we ate and cleaned up after dinner it was already well into the evening. We had play time inside and outdoors and before you knew it, it was bedtime.
His uncle Antz tucked him into bed every evening and then they would read a book together.
When they were done, I would go in for a bit of goofing around and good night snuggles. It was the most precious time of the day with him.
We were both sad when he was gone, the house seemed so quiet when we got home from work.
The week made us anxious more than ever for the arrival of our family.......We are so ready for the next chapter and have been waiting a very long time for this....

Last week we also got the much anticipated call from our worker with our domestic adoption!!! All of our paperwork is complete and the file has been placed with her to come to the house for the last two home visits (to update our previous homestudy to a "SAFE" homestudy. Once this is done, we are then considered approved adopted parents.
We are hopeful the time frame from our approval to referral is short.

As for our international adoption, we recently received a letter from our agency saying that at present families are waiting 23 months for referrals and this wait is expected to increase.
That means we have another year or two ahead of us, with only being logged in for almost 11 months now. Sigh

In closing, here are a few pictures of us hiking with Tyler and mom.........what a great day that was!!! We also went through a corn maze, but unfortunately I forgot to bring my camera.....it would have been priceless to capture the smile on Tyler's face. He and I were pretending to be warriors running through the corn maze..........running off the course, through the corn giggling so loud.............It was a day filled with fun and excitement...leaving both Tyler and I fast asleep in the car on the ride home!!!

Happy Anniversary Laura & Maz!!

Wish that you guys were closer so we could celebrate your anniversary together.

We miss you both and our beautiful niece.....

love you guys!

Hugs and kisses

It's official, my bro is married.....
Congrats Michael & Lisa!

The wedding went off without a hitch and it was beautiful!!
It was a wonderful celebration which was centred around love & commitment.
My adorable little nephew Tyler was the ring bearer and it was heart melting to see him up at the alter participating in the wedding ceremony beside his dad.
All the jitters I had about being the MC left after two rum and coke's and with the help of my Uncle Dave telling me to picture everyone in the audience nude....and then every time I would look in his direction he would be grinning from ear to ear.....what a character!
I was honoured to be asked and it allowed me the opportunity to say a few words to my brother & to let him know how proud of him we all are.
The happy couple left after midnight and were getting ready to head off to Jamaica the next day!!! While they were gone we are looking after Tyler for the week!!
It's a great opportunity for us to spend some quality time with the little guy.......
Here are some of the 280 photo's I took at the wedding.....

The happy couple

Mom & Tyler

The new family

Mom, Michael & I

The beautiful bride

The wedding party

us

I can't believe that it is October already........

It feels like just yesterday I was saying "I can't believe it is September already". Though I am always sad to see the hot temperatures leave at the same time it is refreshing to feel the fall breeze! The crispness in the air when you walk outside and the sound of the leaves crunching under your feet.....does it get any better?

Well, here it is one week before my bro's wedding............I am sitting in my office supposedly finishing my MC speech and here I am blogging.......

Nothing like procrastinating.


This is not going to be easy for me to do as I am an emotional person. I was the maid of honour for my sisters wedding and when I stood up to give my speech I got through about 30 seconds before I started to cry.

How uncool is it to have a bumbling crying MC........mortifying!


With the usual siblings spats aside, my bro and I have been very close for a very long time. We went through the highs and lows of our teen and twenty something years together, being so close in age. Through the good and the bad, we have come out of all our family dynamics close siblings and friends. So, I am honoured to be his MC.........but truthfully with the wedding days away I am getting nervous as heck.......what did I get myself into???

Talking in front of all of those people????

And to boot, because my brother and I are both in the funeral business as is his soon to be wife, there will be many of my fellow funeral directors there........no, no pressure at all......


I am praying a glass or two of wine makes all the jitters go away!!!


This weekend we hung out with my bro and his son, Tyler......Lisa had to work for the weekend. We had a BBQ with mom....always so nice being with family. We spent the night around the fire chatting and drinking coffee together....talking wedding details. My bro seems cool as a cucumber and very anxious....


On Sunday Antz and I went hiking and then spent the rest of the day outdoors together.
It is a busy week for us, so we had an early night on Sunday......sleepy time right after we watched the season premier of Brothers & Sisters......that is the best show. It makes me want to have 6 children!!!


It has been years since I have enjoyed a show as much as I do this one.....if your not already watching it, than you must check it out on Sundays.


Here are a few new pictures we got of hubby and I!!

Happy Fall!!