Z is for Zoom!

Z is for Zoom:

Zoooooommmmm, that is what 2010 did. It zoomed by! As have the last 2 years, 8 months and 2 weeks! I can't believe how much Ava has grown up in the last year, let alone that the last 3 months! Its amazing how just this past summer she barely said a word but now she is telling stories, singing songs and making us laugh the whole time.

We had a nice Christmas this year. Ava had lots of fun with her "friends" (her cousins Maija and Kieran) and got spoiled by all. She got 3 teddy bears, 2 Lolaloopsy Dolls (which we found out this morning used to be called Bitty Buttons dolls), a shopping cart, clothes, lots of colouring and art type things, books and Play-Doh. We even had to leave some of it behind at Grandma's for her to play with next time. She had lots of fun telling Grandma and Granddad stories and going "ditch fishing" in all the puddles around Grandma's neighbourhood.

It was a bit sad though, as my Grandfather had passed away a week before Christmas Eve and my Grandma wasn't doing very well with her Alzheimer's. So between that and the stress of Derek's job a month before Christmas it took quite some time to get into the Christmas spirit. Ava was a great help and made everyone smile and laugh, then with the arrival of Ava's cousins the next day it was a very fun and busy time around Mom and Dad's.

Mom turned 60 on December 27th and we threw her an impromptu birthday party with 5 of her 7 brothers and sisters there as well as a few of my cousins. She said she didn't want a party but was happy that we threw her one after it was all said and done :)

That was our Christmas and it went by like a flash. We did a bit of post Christmas shopping today using gift cards that we received, and I booked my present from Santa, a new hair cut and colour at my favourite salon :)

With only 2 days left of 2010 you could really say the year Zoomed by! Derek started the year as a reporter and is ending the year running for a seat on Comox council! Ava started the year not saying much of anything and is ending it singing songs and telling stories! As for me I started the year with an almost 2 year old, working nights and weekends and not feeling very content, and I'm ending it with an almost 3 year old and feeling pretty content. We don't know where 2011 will take us but for right now, my life with a 2 year old is pretty good.

Y is for Yuletide Fun; Y is for You Never Know Where Life Will Take You

Y is for Yuletide Fun:

We are getting in to the last couple of weeks leading up to Christmas and Ava's loving it. She loves the tree, the lights and she even loved visiting Santa this year. Last year she had a tough time with Santa and Mommy had to be in the picture, this year I'm happy to report that there were no tears only sweet smiles and no Mommy in the picture :)

She is going to be one lucky little girl this Christmas and I can't wait to see the delight on her face when she gets what she asked Santa for :) She's been such a good little girl and has come so far in everything since last Christmas. It's these years that will be the most special.

Ava can even recite the 12 Days of Christmas by memory:


I love her little voice and I love making these videos of her :)


Y is for You Never Know Where Life Will Take You:

Today is our 8.5 year dating anniversary, but this week has special meaning to us, in many other ways.

Ten years ago this week I quit my job at the grocery store (you know the one that I am working at again) and moved to the Comox Valley for my first job in radio. I was so young and naive and excited. It was what I wanted though, on air at a country radio station, and it was great for awhile. I was on air from December 2000-April 2004, when I decided I would rather have weekends off with Derek and work a Monday-Friday kind of job. I left the radio station to go on maternity leave when I had Ava and never went back.

Speaking of leaving the radio station, this Friday will be Derek's last day!!!!

After over 24 years of working for the Coast group of stations he has decided its time to move on. There are many other reasons which out of respect to my amazing and brave husband I won't get into, but lets just say, it wasn't right. I am really excited about the unknown, I was really upset for a couple of days but now I am really happy and excited for him. I'm very proud of my husband.

I'll have to work more, but I am grateful that I have a job that will allow me to pick up more hours and that has been so flexible. This wasn't where I thought I'd be when Ava was born, I thought that I would be able to stay home and raise her, but now her Daddy will get to have more time with her and we'll still end up with more family time than we had before, at least for the short term.

Derek has a few ideas of what he'd like to do but we'll just have to wait and see what the future has in store, whatever he decides he will succeed!