My First Blog Post.......Hi Ladies!!!

Hi ladies!! I finally decided to get my butt in gear and am putting forth my very first blog entry. My name is Shannon Perlstrom (previously Lipinski). I joined the sorority in 2003 and I was VP of Organisation the very next year. Erika was my big sister and Ashlyn is my little sister. My third year I was too busy to take on a little sister and there were not enough little sisters for everyone that year. I loved being apart of the sorority for those three years and have developed close friendships with several of the girls I met through the years. I appreciate the connections I have made with my sisters and hope that I will get a chance to create these connections with fellow alumnae sisters in the future. I finally tied the knot with my husband Carl on July 7, 2007 (the busiest wedding day in history). We have been together since I was 15 which will be 10 years in November. I can't believe how fast time goes by. It seems like we just got engaged not that long ago (which happened in Nicaragua on a sailing trip and we stopped for lunch on a beach....he dragged me out for a walk onto a rock bluff with the ocean all around us...it was an engagement girls dream of and I even have a picture).

I have been in University for what seems like forever but I am finally starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel and will be a certified teacher as of May 2009. I am sorry that I have been absent this year but my life got turned upside down on September 11, 2007. I had settled on the fact that I was not going to get into the education program this year but on that September day I got a call saying I got in but in Terrace. I hade 4 hours to decide whether or not I was going to move to Terrace for the next two years or try again next year. My husband and I decided that it would be the best in the long run for me to get my school done so I moved to Terrace the very next day and started classes the day after that. I was very nervous starting the program a week late but I walked into the classroom and heard my name and I looked over and there was Mackenzie. She made the transition into the class much easier. As of now, I just finished my first teaching practicum with a grade 1/2 class and absolutely loved it. I cannot wait to be a full fledge teacher with my own class and that is where I am at now. I am looking forward to the semester being done and getting to go home for the summer. Since getting married I have seen my husband for maybe 2 months in total and I cannot wait to be back home. Well, that's about it for now!!

Kyla

Hi All,

So here's the latest on my niece Kyla. She is now 10 months and doing well. She has not had an infection since last summer and continues to eat like crazy and has the cutest little bum dimples! She's recently gone through another round of tests to get a better picture of what her kidney's are doing. Well, the valves continue to have reflux on both sides and don't look like they are realigning themselves well on their own. This means another round of tests in July and most likely some surgery later this year. The other crazy thing they discovered is that one of her kidney's is much larger than the other and the smaller one is hardly working. This means that as she gets older, both will continues to work but the smaller one will carry such little function that in essence she will live as if she only has one kidney.

So this is a bit hard for me to take. My niece has to have surgery at only a year and a half. She will live the rest of her life with basically only one kidney. Hard to take. My brother and sister-in-law are doing well and have some great support: good physicians and friends who have a daughter with the same condition and have been through it already. Maybe it's harder for me as they're out in Calgary and I'm here and so much of the time I don't feel like I know this little one yet. I know she will be fine. They have a great Children's Hospital in Calgary, for which I am very thankful. And I'm thankful that her parents are doing fine with this.

Sarah and Suzy when on a road trip to Victoria!

Jamie and Sam wanted to go see Madam Butterfly at the Royal Theatre in Victoria... so Sarah and Suzy decided to join them and it was a great.

We chatted, drank good wine, went out of a big breakfast at Du Dutch, scouted out great antique shops in Downtown Victoria... there was even time to just relax and chill out while visiting with each other. We had some great Sushi, when out for some drinks at a fun little Pub and of course devoured some of Jamie's now famous pancakes before we had to leave. The Opera was wonderful... but something got lost in the translation between Italian and English. LOL! Unfortunately none of us speak Italian.

The only think we did have enough time for was to go see Steve band play...but we have plans to do that the next time we are in town visiting. I only hope they have a CD out by that time. (Inside Joke)

Anyway. It was great to see some of the Victoria girls and it is wonderful to know that we have the Delta Chapter up and functioning again. They were great hostesses... you should all go visit them if you can make the trip.

Natalie apologizes if she offends anyone!!

Hi ladies,

I wrote a very direct response to a recent email that was sent out about non-interested members and hope that none of you were offended by it. I was sharing my opinions and frustrations, and am certain that some of you will share in my thoughts. I really cherish our group and the rich history that we have, and hope that this legacy continues for years to come.

Looking forward to reading your responses to my last rant! Hope you are all well.

Nat

Exciting news in the Watts household!

no...I'm not pregnant again, haha!

Robyn peepeed on the potty!!! HAHA....okay so perhaps not so exciting by some people's standards....but definitely exciting if you're a parent. This means, we're on the road to no more diapers! And let me tell you, diapers are *expensive*!!!

Here's the proud little girl! (even prouder mama was behind the camera!!)

Hello All... finally!!! :o)

Hello Sisters!!! My name is Catherine Koning (formally Goumans). I am a recent Alumni as of May 2007. I had issues with the blog and have finally figured it out, so sorry it took so long for me to post my about me info. I joined the sorority in 2001... I think.. it has been so long.. I was the president in 2005/06 (sorry if all my years are off, memory is failing me). I am Sam's little sister and I am Lonnie and Keri's big sister. I really enjoyed my time in the Sorority and am enjoying my time in the alumane group. I have made many great friends in this group. I have lived in PG since 1999 and went to UNBC and graduated with a Bachelour of Social Work degree. I am presently a child protection worker with the Government. I was hired in April 2007 and I am trying to get comfortable with an uncomfortable job... I married my husband, Aaron, on October 13, 2007. Aaron and I have been together for 11 years in February, so getting married was pretty much a requirement :o) Aaron moved to Surrey 5 days after our wedding as he got offered an excellent job. He is enjoying it a lot and we have decided to make the big move down south. We are currently packing and getting ready to move. I have unofficially been offerred a job down south with the Government, but I am not sure where they are going to put me or when I start etc. We have a place to rent down there. It is my cousin's house and we are renting the upstairs. It is in Delta at the corner of 116th and 80th Ave. I have no idea what that means or where that is... but some of you who live around there probably know :o) I am looking at being down there full time no later than April 1, so we will see how it all goes. We are trying to sell our trailer here, so I am hoping that happens soon as paying for two places is getting really expensive and I know that I could spend the extra money on something more exciting :o) As for hobbies I don't have too many. I am starting to scrapbook and become more crafty... trying too... Aaron and I have a dog, his name is Levo (Lee-vo). He is a miniature american eskimo. He is a super cool dog and is our 'fur' baby.. as real children are not in our future. I am really hoping to make it to the retreat. I am looking forward to meeting those of you who I have never met. Well I have to get back to packing and I will update the group when I find out my job stuff and when I will actually be down south for good! I put a wedding picture and a picture from my trip to Vancouver to see my hubby. I don't have any pics of Levo on my new laptop, but I have more pictures posted on my facebook page if you are interested :o)

Vancouver Chapter event: Welcome home Jamie!

We had a little get-together this past weekend to officially welcome home Jamie from Korea. Jamie and her husband Steve have been teaching in Korea for the past few years and we are thrilled to have her back home in the land of hockey and maple syrup. Susan hosted a spaghetti dinner at her house and she and her roommate Mel made enough pasta to feed an army! And apparently my peanut-butter chocolate smores bars rocked the house so I've added the recipe at the bottom! Enjoying the fine evening was Susan and her *fiance* Scott ;) Her roommate Mel; Jamie the guest of honour; Carrie and her hubby Shane; Laura and her little guy Adam; and myself, my hubby Curt and little miss Robyn. Funny enough there was not a camera in sight....how did that happen? So sorry ladies, no pictures to share. But rest assured we all looked fab, and a little rosy cheeked from the wine! ;) Glad to have you home Jamie, we've missed you terribly! -Sarah Peanut-butter Smores Bars graham crackers mini marshmallows 12 oz (2 c) semi-sweet chocolate 2/3 c corn syrup 3 tbspn marg 1/2 c crunchy peanut-butter 3 c rice krispies Coat 9X13 microwaveable safe dish w cooking spray Arrange graham crackers in a single layers over the bottom Sprinkle marshmallows over top Micro on HIGH for 1 min or until marshmallows are puffy ( you can also put in oven at 400 if dish does not fit in microwave) Remove and cool completely In micro safe mixing bowl combine chocolate, corn syrup and marg. Micro on HIGH 1 1/2 mins stirring every 30 seconds, or until fully melted Stir in peanut-butter and rice krispies Spread into dish with crackers and marshmallows. Cover and refrigerate 1 hour. Cut into squares and serve. ** Jamie had an excellent idea to make these a little more "fancy", use white chocolate and substitute walnuts or pecans for the peanut-butter. MMMmmmm!

An APB Engagement.

Hello Sorority Sisters…

Well it appears that I am following our APB pattern here… and I am happy to tell you all that on New Year’s Eve just before midnight at The Tea House in Stanley Park I got engaged to Scott… who many of you have met. Scott and I have been together for two years, he is from Victoria and now is an RCMP officer in the lower mainland, we are both very excited about our engagement.

We do not have a date or a venue selected yet, but I will keep you all updated as the whole process unfolds and as we make decisions and plans (I might even be asking for advice and help from some of you). It looks like 2008 is going to be much more exciting then I thought, and I am very much looking forward to what this year and our lives together will bring Scott and me. I hope you all had a great New Year’s and that you are all looking forward to 2008 as much as I am.

~Susan~

Hello and Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas, ladies!

I'm Rachel and I'm the new girl in the Alumnae. I enjoyed my time with the active group immensely, and served as VP of Organization, but now, I'm looking forward to enjoying a lifetime with the Alumnae. Some of you I know really well, and others I have yet to meet, but I can't wait to do so.

I'm 21, I'm still living in Prince George and I officially convocate with my B.Sc in Biochemistry in May, although I completed all my requirements in August. I live with a room-mate and two cats, in a traditional student-decor-chic apartment. For now, I'm working in town (I'm a server) and I'm saving up money for a giant Europe trip. I'm ridiculously excited about this trip. I'll be going with 3 of my friends, and will be driving around for 3 months in Europe. We leave June 1st. The entire focus of my life, at this point, is this trip. In September, I'll probably return to school, hopefully to become an R.N.

As for what I enjoy doing/who I am. Let's see. Mostly I work, and I rarely have energy to do anything once I get home, other than collapse in a heap on the couch and watch a movie, but when I am feeling particularly gung-ho, I love to run. Occasionally, I'll go kickboxing with some friends, or maybe go on a short day-hike. I enjoy gaming (the geeky kind of games), reading, various artistic endeavors (which look like my old Kindergarten art projects) and the usual assortment of half-forgotten hobbies that I pick up for a week and then forget about.

I'll post some pictures at a later date. Hope everyone is enjoying the holiday. Ciao!

Natalie Borys' Calgary Update!

Hello ladies!


I know that it's been a while since my last update, so here goes... I moved into my new house (again!) in July and have spent that last few months renovating it to look like it would have when it was built in 1910. That has been a challenge for me bacause I am used to ripping my houses apart and making everything new again. It's tougher making it look newly old!


Corey and I have recently welcomed a new addition to our growing family... Hanna the puppy! She is a rescue dog (as are our other two dogs) and is about 3 months old. She's a sheppard cross. SO CUTE!! Our terrier was diagnosed with terminal cancer a few months ago and we thought it would be great to introduce another puppy into our clan to keep everyone young and full of life! She's settling in nicely and has even learned how to use the dog door! Just so he and the other puppies don't get jealous, I am including photos of all three! Bailey is our Golden Retriever, Mischa is our terrier and Hanna is our new fur-baby!!


Corey has been really busy transitioning into another job, and as it turns out, we may be relocating to Los Angeles for a few years so that we won't be apart for most of the time as his new office is in LA. I should know by springtime, so I will keep you all posted.


No engagements, no weddings and no babies for me right now... so I'm a bit behind the rest of you.... but hopefully the new year will bring some new luck for me... (and some courage for Corey!) Unitl then have a happy holiday season and a great new year. See you all at the retreat in May! Come v isit in Calgary while I am still here!!



Miss you lots,
Natalie

Hi ladies,

Just like to take a moment to say welcome Nat. Glad to here things are going well for you and I look forward to seeing you at the alumnae events. Call anytime.

Sandra

About Me

Hi everyone,

This is my first blog post (I am not really a blogger hence why it has taken me so long to write one). As some may know or not know I am Natalie Dickenson and I am a new member to the Vancouver chapter, as I graduated from UNBC this past May 2007. I received a BSc in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. For the past few months all I have been doing is working two jobs in North Vancouver. Come January, I will be starting my new program at BCIT. I will be taking the Medical Radiography Technology program to become a X-Ray tech. I am super excited for this program as I will finally have a career when I finish in 2.5 years. I am also excited because it seems like something I will truly enjoy. Not that I don't love my jobs; I mean who doesn't love dealing with bitchy customers during the holidays. I work for London Drugs in the Photo Finishing department and also at a place called Crystalview Pool & Spa where we sell hot tubs, patio furniture, BBQs and chemicals.

More about me: I am 22 years old and live with my parents (again) since I moved back to Van after my program and I am too broke to afford an apartment here. I have 3 cats (1 is actually mine), a dog, a bird and a horse. I have one older sister who is getting married come this August and I am the maid of honor. I am super excited for her and the wedding. I love snowboarding, swimming, essentially anything outdoorsy. When I was apart of the local chapter of the sorority I held the position of Treasurer and enjoyed the experience I got from the 4 years i was apart of it.

Other than that, I just want to say that I have so far enjoyed being an Alumnae and meeting all the girls.

3rd Annual Gamma X-mas Dinner

We had our 3rd Annual Gamma Chapter X-mas dinner this past Saturday and it was wonderful to see so many of our Vancouver Chapter members coming together for good food and great conversation with each other.

Shannon Jones was gracious enough to be our host this year… And she did a wonderful job of planning the event and making the main course. Everyone else then pitched in for a potluck style dinner as we do every year! Same as all other Sorority events we had more food than we knew what to do with and we all left very full.

Three of our new Alumnae members attended this year which made the event even more special. Natalie.D, Thomas and Cheryl.A all joined us. It was a perfect winter day because we actually had snow in Van. So it was wicked that so many people still came even with the winter weather that we are not use to here in the city.

We made this dinner a kid friendly event and got two teen age girls to be our babysitters during the appetizer and meal time so that the mom’s could have a while to just enjoy their dinner and visit without any distractions. But after dinner we brought the kids down so we could all play with them and just enjoy having them around. It was great, and the kids were so well behaved.

We wish all of you could have joined us… Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays! All your Gamma Chapter Memebers.

This is my fiance, Tyler and I at our first dance. He was DJing a friend's wedding and I went with him and we got to dance a couple times.

Good news!

I am very happy to announce that I am engaged! My boyfriend of 5 1/2 months proposed to me on Saturday Nov 24! I'm so excited and shocked and overwhelmed and a whole bunch of other emotions! My ring is gorgeous, it is white gold with a little diamond in the centre and two hearts with diamonds on either side. He also bought the matching wedding band. I love them! We are planning to get married in Chetwynd, BC on July 26th 2008. Just thought I'd share! Ciao girls!

Hey All

Hi guys! Well after Nat called me and said shed be worried about me I thought I better let you guys know I'm still alive! Life is pretty good. I'm still out here in Abby with my boys. The girls are still with Andrew right now but come and visit any chance they get!

I've been at Friesen Electric for over a year and a bit now. I'm the receptionist/sales assistant. I love it its a great job that gives me the flexibility I need. I'm proud to say I've been off the system for almost 3 years and completely self reliant in taking care of my family. I don't have much time to myself though working full time and then having the boys the rest of the time. I'm very tired but I love em to death and its worth it.

Still single after 2 years and FINALLY kicking Dan to the curb. Life got a whole lot better after he left the picture. Unfortuntely the drama didn't end and consequently I have court tomorrow which is why I can't sleep and am still up lol but thats another story. I have met someone VERY special though and am patiently waiting to see where things go.

I turned the big 30 on October 13. That was a big one for me phew! Well I don't have much else to say. I do miss you all.

New Arrival

Hi Ladies,

I would like to introduce our newest family member, Ty Robert Walker, born Nov 1 in Smithers at 8lbs 10oz. It was a difficult birth, so a few hours later we were air lifted to the NICU in Prince George for 5 days. We got home on Monday and it's so great to have our family settled here in Smithers. Baby Ty is doing great but he's keeping me up for most of the night and then sleeping most of the day. Sarah is a great big sister, but I've got to keep a close eye on her because she gets excited and forgets to be gentle.

I hope everyone is having a good Fall season.

Love Lisa

Has anyone heard/seen/talked to Ally?

Hi Gals,

Just being my neurotic self again. I haven't heard or seen Ally since Amanda's wedding and I am kind of worried about her. Has anyone chatted with her recently? The phone number that I had for her is not accurate. Thanks for the help!

Hope all my sisters are well and I look forward to seeing you all the retreat in March! It snowed in calgary! Bah Humbug!

First Blog

Hi everyone I'm Chelsea Brekkaas. This is my first blog on this site, sorry it has taken so long. Most of you have never met me before, so a little background: I'm 23 and just finished up at UNBC this past May. I got my BA in Resource Based Tourism, now called Outdoor and Recreational Tourism Management. I live in Chetwynd, BC and work at the local Chamber of Commerce and Visitor Centre. My boyfriend Tyler and I have been together for almost five months now. It feels really wierd to be working and not in school. I really love my job, its fun and never boring.
I really like being a part of the sorority, even though I'm a little far away to participate much. I'm going to do my best in the alumnae, even from my faraway position. I'm looking forward to getting to know everyone and hopefully, once I get set up a little better, participate in more events and stuff. Anyways, I'll try and post more in the future. Bye for now!

hello out there!!!!

oh wow, I hope I am doing this right lol. So, I am Chiara Mann. This is my first time posting anything, sorry its taken so loooong. Aaron (significant other) and I moved out in May, we have not had the extra cash to get internet yet, so I can only get on when I am visiting my mom or near a computer. *sigh* I hate being broke.....

So, seeing as how most of you dont know who I am..... My full name is Chiara May Mann. I am 21, birthday may 21. I am in PG, and will probably be here for a while, me and aaron like it here. We have 2 dogs, 4 turtles, and one horse, though I should point out the horse is mine, not "ours". Jay is from the SPCA, we think is is about 3 y/o, and a border collie x. Sassy is a year old and a border collie/golden retreiver. I love them both, even if they do drive me crazy. The turtles are: Swimmy (16 y/o red eared slider) Spike (7 month old map) and a map and a hyroglyph (sp?) who are about a month old and still unnamed. Long story as to how we have that many. The horse: Dumas, a 5 y/o warmblood, holsteiner TB cross, registered canadian warmblood. I love him dearly, even if he does cost a lot of money. In case you are wondering, we live in a basement suite, he lives where I work...

I work at Dreamworks Farm, with Sorine Winthers, I have been ther 5 years now, and i love it. um.... for those who know horses it is exciting, for those who dont I will bore you, so ask if you have questions. I can go on and on about Dumas and work, so I will stop now.

hm... I should probably talk about aaron.. He's my age, we met through a guy I was dating, and we were friends for a bit before we started dating. fairly complicated ask if you want details. We have been together for a year and a half now. Doing good, but living with someone is hard. It was up and down for the summer, but seems to be smoothing out now.

I think thats it in a nutshell.. I will try to keep posting as I am able to.

see you all in may!!!

Hey, it's been a while - or at least I feel like that as a few things have happened recently. First, my new puppy Quito (pronounced Keeto). She is now 18 weeks and we got her at 10 weeks from a breeder in Enderby. She is a beagle from some quality show lines but I don't care about that, she is just the cutest puppy ever! And from all the smiles we get when we're out, I'm sure others agree. She is super trying though. First it was the seperation anxiety (which is better but not the best still), then it was the biting/chewing everything (which she's still doing but we're puppy proofed better), and now it's the barking because you won't play with me. I tell you, I am so not ready to have kids. This puppy is just way to much work! And the horror I went through a few weeks ago when she ate a bit of IB Profeun tablet. I had to make her vomit and to do so I had to feed her hydrogen peroxide, it was just so awful for me to do! Over the weekend we discovered she has cherry eye, which means her third eyelid has popped out and is all red and gross looking. So she's off to surgery in a couple of weeks. Also, we've started puppy classes but the instructor is just so rude and mean. We'll be signing up through a different company next time. Overall I am definitely enjoying having her with nice walks, playing fetch, her tail wagging everytime she sees me, and my favourite - puppy cuddles.

Other exciting news, my sister had her baby on Sept. 18, a boy, just as I had predicted. James Richard. It was a pretty crazy delivery with an emergency c-section but both my sister and baby are fine. I was able to go up to 150 Mile last weekend for Thanksgiving to meet him. What a chilled out little guy he is. Yay a nephew! I get to buy cute boy clothes now!

Oh, my summertime travels! First it was out to Calgary to be with Kyla and Isabelle. Isabelle who is 2 now is just the cutest little talker now. And Kyla is doing just fine now after the scary hospital thing. She is still on anti-biotics and will be until her kidneys realign themselves but all is fine for now. She is so plump!

Then it was off to Ecuador with Shane and my parents. What an amazing trip!!! We went to some awesome markets, saw a ton of volcanoes (even saw one erupt), saw so many llamas, and were able to see a lot of people wearing their traditional dress. Different ones for each place you went in Ecuador, and it's not that big a country. We stayed in some very old hacienda's, which were just so cold! Even though Ecuador is on the equator, it's very cold there, especially at night because the elevation is so high. And yes, standing in both the north and south hemisphere at the same time is a bit cool. We also visited an Inca site. As part of our trip we went over to the Galapagos Islands. Such an amazing place! A bit pricey to get there but so worth it! The animals, landscapes, sand - it's all so surreal.

Now I'm back at school. Same school as last year. Shorter hours (I'm not doing afterschool care) and I have an assistant in the class with me. Actually I'm onto my 3rd now and she wants to be more of a co-teacher than an assistant so I've decided to let her do some things as I want the stability in the classroom and don't want another new person. So far the year is going pretty well. It's taking longer to establish ground rules as it was difficult having 3 different people but the kids are great. Parent meetings have had good attendance so hopefully some good families to work with this year.

Australia is paradise!

Hi sisters!
I'm coming home in two days and just wanted to share some pics of what I've been seeing here in Australia. I went to some great places. I recommend visiting Australia it is great. It helps to have a lengthy stay and friends who work for an airline to fly you around at discount though. This place is big like Canada is big and so traveling can be expensive. We flew into Sydney and went straight to Surfer's Paradise. We then went camping on Fraser Island with friends. I took a solo trip to Melbourne to visit friends I made in Seoul. Steve and I then spent a week on Heron Island. I'm super happy to be coming home soon though and see you all.

2008 Alumnae Retreat... May 24-27

2008 Alumnae Retreat... May 24-27 @ The Hills Health Spa & Ranch!

As we all know the 25% deposits are required in November for The Hills Health Spa 2008 APB Retreat. This means that if you plan to attend the retreat you must contact The Hills Spa and pay your deposit between November 1-30. (1-800-668-2233) This will guarantee that there is a spot and a room assigned to you in your name. You don't want to miss this deadline!

It is also essential that you contact Lonnie and let her know you are coming, and that you have paid your deposit. Lonnie can be reach at mscrackerjack@hotmail.com Also if you know that you are not going to attend and that you are unable to join us at the Spa please also contact Lonnie and let her know that you will not be in attendance. If you do not RSVP with either a Yes or a No we do not know if we should continue sending you information and updates about our plans for the Retreat.

There is a lot of organizing that your fellow sisters are putting into planning this retreat. And we have a lot of really exciting things planned for this year. If you would like to help... the extra hands, ideas, and energy is always welcome. Please contact Lonnie and let her know you are willing to help and she will welcome the extra assistance. It is always great to be thankful, but helping is the best way to show your appreciation.

...About The Hill's Health Spa & Ranch...

You are surrounded by over 20,000 acres of rich Canadian wilderness & ranchlands in the middle of a working cattle-ranch that present fabulous views, hiking, canoeing, biking, & winter skiing and snowshoeing!! But, beyond our fabulous environment, our deeply rooted commitment is to provide you with a harmonious human environment, arising from our desire to personally care and nurture you, ensuring that you have a memorable spa vacation experience with us!! http://www.thehillshealthranch.com/

Earlier this year on Aug 30th Lonnie posted a Blog that was full of information about the Retreat. If you have not ready seen that Blog Post please check it out. It should answer any and all questions you might have. But if you still have a question please post a comment, and an answer to your question will posted in the comments section as soon was we are able to find the answer for you.

HOPE TO SEE YOU ALL AT THE 2008 ALUMNAR RETREAT!

I'm Coming Home

Hi sisters!
Sorry I haven't posted on this in a long time. Every time I logged on it kicked me to the Korean version of Blogger and my Korean is not that good.
I 'm finally coming home. I'm so happy to get out of Korea and I am really enjoying my month vacation in Australia. So far I've gone fishing, camping and I'm heading to Melbourne to hang out with a friend I met at work in Korea (that's a picture of us being crazy).
When I get back Steve and I are heading up the east coast to do some scuba diving before we come back to Brisbane. I'll make sure to take lots of pictures and post it on Facebook.
If you haven't already heard I am moving to Victoria. I'm so excited! Steve and I are hoping to become BC government employees, buy a house, buy a couple of dogs and settle in.

Hi everyone,

Well this is my first time posting to the blog so I guess I have lots of catching up to do. It's been great to read up on the happening's in everyone lives, congrats to everyone who has recently had babies/bought houses/got married; it's great to hear everyone is enjoying life.

Life has been good for me, I am still in Fort St. John working for Sander Rose Trobak LLP. I wrote the UFE to become a Chartered Accountant last year in September. I achieved honours which is the top 2% in Canada of around 2,700 writers, I am very happy about it and it means that school is finally over. A short bio and pictures were put in the BC CA magazine; on the right is one of the pictures that was taken for the magazine.

When I finished I swore I would never have anything to do with the hell called CASB (Chartered Accountant School of Business); however, I have just signed up to be a facilitator coming up in October. It should be interesting to be on the other side.

Last November I went to Maui for a Taekwondo tournament. It was amazing, I placed 1st in my division for Sparring and 3rd for Poomsae (patterns). My boyfriend, Mike, is a Taekwondo instructor and competed in the tournament as well. I stayed there for 10 days and I have to say I can't wait to go back. I went scuba diving and snorkeling, as well as up Mount Haleakala and travelled the treacherous road to Hana.

Scuba diving was a lot of fun; our guide would hand us different types of 'sea life' to get a picture with, he tried to hand me an octopus but as you may see from the picture I was not impressed. It's so beautiful there, the air smells like flowers and the weather is great! I'm going on vacation for two weeks in January and am either going to Mexico or Hawaii, so excited!

I also went to Quebec in February this past year. That was an experience! Mike was competing in Nationals; they were held in Montreal. I figured that I would take an additional week off and go with him so we could take some time to explore Montreal and go shopping.

We stayed in Old Montreal for the latter part of our trip; however we didn't get to do much exploring. When we arrived there was a snow storm which dropped about 3 feet in town; then it followed by a day of nice weather before it dropped down to -30 with the Windchill! We spent a lot of time in our hotel and running to the Metro to shop underground; although we did visit the Museum and Science Centre which were lots of fun. I've decided that is the last time I take a 'vacation' anywhere in Canada in the Winter :-)

Well that's about it, these days work has slowed down which is great before the audit season begins. I just bought a 2008 Ford Escape Ltd; I love it! I won't say I'm looking forward to winter but having heated leather seats will ease the pain!

Hope everyone is doing well!

Anne

2008 Retreat

You should have all received the 2008 Retreat information package in the mail by now. The next retreat will take place at the Hills Health Spa and Ranch in 108 Mile, BC over 3 nights from May 24 to 27, so start saving your pennies now!

In your information package you should have received a pamphlet showing you the difference packages the Hills has to offer. Feel free to pick which ever package suites your desires for the weekend. The prices for the weekend will vary from around $500 to $1100 but all of them include your meals while you are there. When looking at the prices use the quad rates. Most of the packages are based on 2 nights stay but you can usually find the cost of the additional night directly below on the pamphlet.

We will be staying in the cabins which room 3 to 6 people (6 if we are all sharing beds). Should we get enough people attending they will book off 2 cabins beside each other. I will be confirming with them what the minimum is needed to book the 2 cabins, however depending on the size of the group attending next year we may need 3!!!!

The inital booking will be set up at the beginning of November. The group booking will be set up by me and then each individual will have to call in and set up their own account under the group booking. Once the group booking is complete I will notify the group through the blog. You will each then be responsible for your our bookings, packages and payments. Each individual will be required to make a deposit of 25% of the package that you choose at the time of the booking. Just remember when booking to confirm the actual cost of your package as the pamphlets we have are the 2007 prices and may change at anytime.

We are requesting that your deposit be made no later than November 30, 2007. This will give you the whole month of November to make your booking. We are setting this date because we need to know how many cabins to reserve and we will be putting together a special package for each attending retreat member and will need to know the numbers involved as early as possible. Once again it is only the deposit we are asking that you make, the remainder of the package can be paid at a later date. If for some reason you are not able to make your deposit by this date but have every full intention of attending the retreat, please contact me directly so that we have a full numbers count.

Should life happen... as it sometimes does and you cannot make the retreat but have already made your deposit, you can receive 100% refund of your deposit if you advise the resort in writing 30days or more before the arrival date.

If there are any other questions, please contact me directly at mscrackerjack@hotmail.com, or call me at home at 250-964-1186. I request that any questions to be directed through me so that the resort is not dealing with calls from each of use as we may all have the same questions. If you have misplaced your information package or would just like to take a look at what's online the link is http;//www.spabc.com. Any questions that I get I will respond to the individual immediately and I will post the questions and answers on the blog for everyone else to view at least every 2 weeks.

Well that is enought babbling from me! Hope to see you all at the retreat!

Dani's update

Hey guys! geez it's been a while.. sorry! i can't remember if i emailed you guys about my finger but here's the story. basically i broke my pinky finger playing floor hockey. when i got the xrays done the doctor was concerned about a 'csyt-like mass' in the bone where my finger had broke. so he called his friend (a hand specialist) and got an appointment for me. the hand specialist and he said the mass was a tumor and would have to be removed or i'd just keep breaking the finger. but the bone had to heal from the break before he could fix it. i had my hand into a cast upto my elbow for a few weeks then had to wait for a surgery date.

My boyfriend Phil (from Scotland) came to visit me on June 29th, and then on July 6th i went in for a 2-hour procedure.. but they kept me in the hospital overnight. i had some problems with the morphine they gave me (kept throwing up) ubtil they put me on Percocet. i was released the following afternoon.. which was good cause my friend Andrew (from England) came to visit. the drugs made me able to manage taking the boys to the stampede, but my

hand was still pretty sore. on the 10th the 3 of us flew to BC where i showed them around Vancouver Island. Andrew went home on the 14th but Phil and I stayed until the 25th. it was a nice visit with my family!

Phil went home on the 2nd :( and i'm still off work until September 1st. but i've got some good news! my aunt, mom, and sister were planning on going to the UK (and ireland and paris) in september and i was so bummed out i couldn't go. but i just found out today that work is giving me the time off!! i'm so excited! i feel guilty taking more time off... but this would be the trip of a lifetime to have the girls of the family on a trip together!

So that's a little update. the cast comes off on August 20th and then i'll be in physio. oh! and i forgot to mention the tumor was benign :)

The pics - top: my floor hockey team the Dirty Birds; top right: my hand all casted up; bottom left: Phil, me, and Andrew in Cathrdeal Grove; bottom right: Stotan Falls in Courtenay

My First Home!

I have moved!!!! I just bought my first home. I sold my condo and just finished moving. My new home is located in Coquitlam (suburb of Vancouver) and is in a gated community. It is 19 years old, but I just love it! It is a little bungalow, but it has lots of space and really good sized rooms. It is clearly more than I need, but I think it is a good investment. It was very old lady style when I moved in, but after a lot of paint and some modern updates I was able to make it resemble something that a younger person would like. It took some hard work... but with the help of family, freinds and a super handy and great boyfriend, it is really looking nice. And although it was hard to give up my stainless steal appliances and Granite counter tops that I had in the condo. I realize that the value of the home is more important they the trendy decor. But I still miss my super tendy condo!!!

So... I am all settled in now and constantly thinking of new and expensive upgrades, I can do for my home. I have decided I am going to take in a renter to help cover the cost of my newly acquired expenses such as... New blinds, new hardware, new lighting, new appliances and new vanities. The list goes on... trust me! But I am able to see past all the yellow appliances, green toilets and the pink counter tops and one day this will be my dream home. In fact I have a feeling it will be my dream home right about the time I need to upgrade and get a larger home. (laugh) But that is life, and I am trying to make wise decisions about the house and only put money into it that I will get back one day when I am ready to sell. The best part of the house is that I have the perfect place for a hot tub. I just need to save my pennies and buy one. *smile* (donations welcome) So, we will see. I am not going to get my hopes up for stuff like that until, I am done all the necessary updating that is my really priority and focus. You are all welcome to come over anytime and I love to have out of town guests, just let me know if you need a place to stay and I will be happy to have you come and spend a weekend.
I will be sending out an E-mail to all of you with my new addy soon, since I am not comfortable posting my address along with photos of my home. But I want to make sure you all have my most curent contact info so that you are all able to get in touch with me if you never need or want to. *Smile*

Test Message from Natalie

Hi Girls! Hope all is well. I have had some trouble logging into Blogger and just figured out why. This is only a test message.

Carrie, it was great having lunch with you while you were in Calgary!

Hope all is well with all the girls!

Cheryl Wilson's Mailing Address!

Hi Everyone! Here is a paste and copy from the email that Sandra had sent previously, regarding Cheryl's address. She has moved from this address, although she will be gathering her mail at this address for the next couple of months via the post office. So, if you wish, send your best wishes to this address.

Hello Ladies!
I hope the Summer is treating you all very well. i am sending out a quick e-mail as requested by a few of you rearding Cheryl's address.
If you are unable to go to Cheryl's wedding but are still wanting to send a card or something to the happy couple you can send it to the following address.
Cheryl and Clarence Abraham
2852 Andres Rd
Prince George, BC
V2N 1L7
Have a great summer!

Cheryl Wilson's Stagette!

Hello there everyone,
I just wanted to send everyone a quick note. Cheryl Wilson is having her stagette this coming thursday, her bridal shower is on friday, and her wedding on saturday.
Please, if you are in the pg area, come out and celebrate with us. Cheryl misses everyone, and I want her to have as much fun as she can during these days. She is a little sad because alot of her family cannot make it to her wedding, so I was hoping that we all could come and help her celebrate!
For those in Vancouver, Sandra is driving down the evening of the 18th. If you would like to come, and would like to jump in with Sandra, call Sandra asap. Just pitch in for gas and the hotel room, and you will be here!
As well, if any of you can pitch in to help with it would be greatly appreciated as well.
My cell is 305-2832. I will be in pg thursday evening.
I HOPE TO SEE SOME YOU THERE! MISS YOU ALL!!
Love Cheryl

Kyla is sick

So my little niece Kyla who is 10 weeks old is back in the hospital. I am sooo sooo sooo worried about her and my family in Calgary. One of those times where you can do nothing but pray. She went into the ICU last Wednesday with irregular blood work results and because she had been losing so much weight. They found she had a bladder infection, low sodium, and high calcium. She's on an IV for 2 weeks but should be going home soon. So far they haven't found anything but continue to do every test under the sun including 2 spinal taps. My mom is out in Calgary taking care of my 2 year old niece Isabelle and I'll be going out next Wednesday. I'm sure there are other things I could tell you what's going on with me but I think I almost forget them I'm so worried about Kyla.