Christmas in Review

Well, it's the end of 2009, and what a year it was! I don't know if it's just me, or did this year just fly by? It's hard for me to believe that Christmas is already over, and now we are preparing ourselves to welcome 2010.

Sorry, this post is going to be a long one!

This Christmas went a little differently as planned. Dan's parents' planned their Christmas dinner for 4:00pm, so we decided to hit up my parents' place first. We woke up Christmas day, and I woke up pretty early because I was just so excited that it was Christmas, and I have to say, I haven't felt that way that early in the morning in a long time! Dan was surprised that I was the one dragging him out of bed instead of the other way around. I think the cats were just as excited too.

We finally got up and looked in our stockings that Dan so graciously organized for everyone, then opened our presents from each other.

I got Dan a tie-organizer (which he asked for last year, but I couldn't find a good one), a little vacuum cleaner for his car (he loves keeping his car clean...on the outside at least. I thought this one might help him a little), a hat that he actually picked out so I can't take credit for that one, and cologne.

We didn't want to spend too much this year because we have other goals in mind. I have to admit though, that Dan didn't spend much at all! He had me believe that he hadn't even started shopping until a couple days before Christmas. Then I found these wrapped up under the tree...

Yup, that's a fruit cup, an empty toad head candy container, a pack of jello mix, and an empty cologne box. But there was a little note attached to each one. So I had to go find my presents around the house so that there was no way that I would guess what my presents were by looking at them all wrapped up under the tree! The first one I opened was the fruit cup which had a note "look in the bathroom cupboard", then the toad head with "look in the linen closet", then the jello pack with "look behind the computer monitor" (which he hid that one on my pillow because he had me wait in the computer room so that he could get ready), then finally the cologne box with " look behind the couch". And this in what I got in that order...

If you can't see them in the picture that well, Dan got me a small jewelry box with my named engraved in it so that Izzie can't steal my earrings off my nightstand anymore (I'm still missing one), a sweater that looks like the one he got me last year but accidentally shrunk it in the wash on me (I think this one is even better), another cute red sweater, and last but not least, a Wii Fit Plus!! I really wanted a Wii Fit Plus, but knew that it would be sort of out of our budget for Christmas, but Dan got it for me :) What a great husband I have. Now I actually kind of feel bad for the few gifts that I got him. Good thing his birthday is coming up at the end of January so maybe I can try to make up for it. All in all, Christmas morning was so great! After opening our gifts, we made a delicious breakfast, played in the Wii Fit Plus, then got ready to head into Carstairs.

I just wanted to mention that this was Izzie's first Christmas, and I think she enjoyed it!

We arrived at my parents' house to find Kimberly, and my mom still in their pj's, and my dad. My brother Arlen and my sister Tammy and her family were supposed to be there too, but they didn't make it in time before we left for Dan's parents' place. I was pretty sad about it because I was really looking forward to seeing them. My mom told me afterward that we missed seeing my brother by about 3 minutes! I hope I will be able to see him soon, because it has already been a really long time since the last time that I saw him.

My parents did a really good job for Christmas this year! My mom tends to buy a lot of little things, mostly Christmas things, from the dollar store or other inexpensive places, which sometimes we don't use them all the time. However this year there was none of that! The first gift that I opened was a blender! But not just any blender, it was a blender that she had in her house all boxed up, unopened for years. I had my eye on it the whole time, and this year I finally got it! (thanks mom!) Maybe next year I'll get that Kitchen Aid that's been there for even longer *hint*hint* We also got the DVD Marley and Me (which I love!) with a Costco gift card taped to the back. Very sneaky mom and dad. A lot of us got a nice 72 hour emergency kit for a family of four. It even has coloring books! We also for a nice glass laser etched nativity scene, complete with a lighted base. Kimberly had me for Christmas this year and she gave me earrings as part of my gift. My parents also got all the married couples in the family a beautiful picture of Jesus, and we got this one of Jesus with children, which was framed.

After we said our goodbyes for the day to my parents and Kimberly, we traveled back into Calgary to Dan's parents' house to eat dinner at 4:00pm. It was so good too! Grandma Reese, and Spencer and Laurie and their 3 boys were there too. After dinner we opened gifts. Once again this year, Dan's parents' rented a beach house for the August Vacation! We are super excited! I also got a few lotions from Dan's mom and we also got some cash. This year we had Spence and Laurie's family for Christmas, and we got them a couple helicopter-type flying balls with lights, some toad-head candy and a chocolate train. It was really nice spending time with everyone there. Christmas Day was really busy for us, but at the same time it was quite relaxing. We then went home and just relaxed with our pets for the rest of the day.

Boxing day came and Dan had to work at 6:00am. Best Buy was crazy! I went for a little visit and it was so crowded! Then Dan told me that I should go and check out the new Banana Republic Outlet store a couple doors down. I don't normally like shopping there because I get so sad when I see something that I like and it's super expensive. But I went anyway to check it out, and it's a good thing I did! I got 5 tops, including a couple sweaters, for just over $61.00! What a great deal! I don't normally shop on boxing day because I just don't think it's worth the long waits and crowds of people everywhere, plus the horrible traffic. I guess this year was an exception. At about 4:00pm was the Olsen family dinner held at Kristie's house. I think everyone had a good time there. The only person missing was my brother Arlen. I miss seeing him. I feel like I don't know who he is anymore, and I miss that. Maybe this next year that will change. After dinner, more gifts were exchanged and Dan and I got a Magic Bullet! Then we just visited with one another. And of course, more family pictures were taken.

My work was closed the next Monday, and it was probably a good thing too because that day I got the flu. I was pretty bummed out, but we didn't have much planned for that day anyways. I can't remember the last time I got that sick. But hey, at least I lost a bunch of that "Christmas weight"!

I am most grateful that I was able to spend time with my family and loved ones. I think that is the best thing about this Christmas season, and I wish it could happen more than just once a year just for that purpose. I am grateful for the true meaning of Christmas and for the gospel that I am apart of.

I hope everyone had a great Christmas 2009, and cheers to the New Year 2010!

Christmas Party Weekend

I love this Christmas season. It has come so fast once again this year. I can't believe 2009 is soon coming to an end. Either way, this time of year is known for time spent with family.

Last Friday was the Olds' Ward Christmas Party that I was able to go to. That day was also a small Christmas Party at my work with a secret Santa and a potluck lunch. I was let out early from work so I was able to make it in good time to Olds. Unfortunately, Dan was DJing a couple dances in Carstairs at the school so he wasn't able to come with me. Maybe next year he'll make it out. I arrived in Olds to meet my Dad who was waiting for everyone to arrive. Then came my mom, Kimberly, and Jodie and Aaron and their family. Shortly after them, Tammy and Mike arrived with their two girls, then came Kristie and Iain and their kids. We took up two tables. I can't remember the last time that this much of our family was at the Olds chapel at once. It was so great! We ate a turkey dinner which was so delicious, then watched the program that was put on by a few people in the ward. Then after that, Santa came for a visit! And let me just say, I think this Santa was the most Santa-looking I have ever seen! His beard was real, the was plump just like Santa, and even his nose was the perfect shape. Well done Olds Ward Santa, well done. After the party Kimberly and I made our way to Carstairs to meet up with Dan. The dance was so brutal. Not saying that they music wasn't great, but there was only about 10 kids there in the gym dancing. I guess one of the teachers let Dan know that there was a lot of other events happening that same night, so there wasn't a great attendance. Oh well, at least Dan still got paid! We helped him pack up his gear and headed home. We were so exhausted that night.

Saturday quickly came and Dan headed to work at Best Buy and I went out to finish my Christmas shopping. I am happy to say that I am finished!! All I need is a couple stocking-stuffers but that's it. Dan hasn't even started. Best of luck to him. Later that night was the annual Glenn Family Christmas Party, and what a party it was! This year it was held at Aunt Cyndi's house. We arrived and visited cousins and relatives and we has a prime rib dinner. Soooooo goooooood! We then took some family pictures,and had a white elephant gift exchange where Dan and I ended up with a toy sword. Don't worry, I had Dan trade one of our nephews, Will, and he loved it. It was so much fun seeing everyone and catching up with everyone. I really love this season especially just for that reason. I never really grew up to become close with my cousins because I lived so far away from them, but on the Glenn side, everyone is so close and I just love that feeling.

Sunday morning came and Dan got up for his last early morning meeting of the year. Next year we meet at 1:00pm instead of 9:00am. He's pretty excited about that. I didn't make it to church because I was feeling really sick. I was so sad that I couldn't go because I really wanted to see the Christmas Sacrament Meeting. Dan went and he even blessed the sacrament, and he told me that it was probably the best Christmas Sacrament Meeting he'd ever seen. Dang it. It sounded so wonderful too. Oh well, maybe next year will be just as good. After church we had tithing settlement with the Bishop and we were the very last people that he saw. Surprise, surprise, we're the last ones. We got home and finally finished decorating our Christmas Tree. We've had it up with the lights on for weeks but never found the time to actually finish it. But we did. We then headed over to Dan's parents' house to have another dinner. And once again, it was so good. I think I've gained a lot of weight already this Christmas season! We visited and played with the kids and took some more family pictures and had a really good time.

This week, Dan and I are mostly working all of it. Dan get's Christmas Eve and Christmas Day off, but I have to work half of a day on Christmas Eve. It's tradition for the Glenn Family to go see the LDS Nativity at Heritage Park on Christmas Eve, so that's what we will be doing. Then for Christmas Day, we will be sleeping in, having a nice breakfast, and opening our gifts from each other before heading over to Dan's parents' place. Then we will be visiting there and opening a few more gifts, then going out to Carstairs to do the same thing at my parents' place. Not everyone it going to be there in my family, but on Boxing Day, we will be having the Olsen Family Christmas dinner. I am pretty excited for that too. I love spending time with my family, and we always have a lot of fun no matter what.

I am hoping to post again before the end of the year but until then, have a very Merry Christmas!

I would also like to wish my sister Amanda a very Happy 28th Birthday as of the 13 of December.

P.S.~Pictures are coming soon!

Blizzard of '09

Wow. What crazy weather we are having! We were really spoiled when we had one snow storm early October, but then it went away the next day and we were having pretty nice weather until the end of November! However, December is a different story. It started off with a snow storm at the end of November. It was bad, but not that bad.

On Friday night (Nov. 27), Dan and I decided to go out and get a movie and maybe go to the mall. Well, we got the movie, but then we were at a standstill for most of the night. It was nice to be able to talk to each other while we were waiting in traffic. We were sitting for an hour and a half just barely inching along. I guess the route that we were taking had a slight hill, and no one could get up it. We saw an ambulance coming up behind us so we pulled into the shoulder but no one else did. So we drove up the shoulder and were weaving through stuck cars that were scattered all over the road. Don't worry, we let the ambulance weave through the cars first. We had no problem making it anywhere that night. If people we more prepared, then each snowfall wouldn't be so chaotic. Calgarians don't realize where they live so they think that if there's no snow, and it's the end of November, then why should they get winter tires? This is why people! It's drivers like you who cause the majority of the accidents.

Then we were preparing ourselves for the storm that was all over the news this past weekend. It was coming and it was going to hit us hard. Friday morning at about 8:30am we started to see snow falling. Then it seemed that the sky just tipped the clouds over and it all came down so fast! And the wind was so strong it was pretty much snowing horizontally. My work closed early because of the conditions, and it's a good thing because rush hour was horrible!

The roads weren't like skating rinks this time but covered in white stuff. People had to abandon their vehicles because of snow banks and whiteout conditions. On the news they were telling everyone to stay home because there were so many road closures. Good thing we had no where to go!

I can't remember when I saw a blizzard, or even if I ever have seen a blizzard in real life. But I hope to never see one again!

On Saturday morning, there was a house fire in Citadel (NW Calgary) and it ended up burning 5 houses right down to the basement foundation because the wind was so strong that it was hard to keep up with the spreading flames, and because when the firetrucks arrived, they got stuck in the huge snowbanks in the area! Neighbors had to come out and help haul the fire hoses to the hydrants and help push/pull the trucks out. I couldn't even imagine being in that situation.

Celebrity

Dan has been working at Best Buy for 2 months now. And in that time he has seen these people come into his store:

Dion Phaneuf, from the Calgary Flames team.

Ryan Ockey, the owner of Cardel Homes.

Josh Goberman from Calgary Global TV. He does the traffic every morning in the helicopter.

Theoren Fleury, former Calgary Flames player.

Also, CBC came into his store with cameras. Later that night he was watching the news and saw this. Forward it to just before 15:00 minutes and watch the segment to 17:00 minutes. Dan is there helping a customer!

One day my husband is going to be so famous... or has it already started??

20 Year Old Potatoes

Today is my sister's 20th birthday! I can't believe it... 20. That means there are now no more teens in the Olsen family. Kimberly has accomplished quite a bit within the last year. She is now a Massage Therapist, and loving YSA.

I hope you have a great one Kimbles McBimbles! I was so depressed when I hit 20, but now it doesn't seem so bad!

And yes, she's single!

My Life Is Average

I know it has been awhile since I have posted anything, but I have been pre-occupied. I was reading a friend's blogs and she mentioned this website: MLIA

So now when I am bored, I read it. I have never read so much in my entire life. It's so addicting!

Nothing has really been happening with Dan and I lately, so that's another reason why there haven't been many posts. Dan's busy working, I'm busy working, and we rarely go out. I know you don't want to hear about it, so I suggest you go to the above website and have a good time.

Glenn Cousin Party

Last Friday Dan and I were invited to a dinner party at Dan's cousin Steven and his wife Naomi's house. And let me just say, it was so much fun! There were a lot of Dan's cousins there; Tanya & Matt, Kyle & Pam, Jesse & Tamanda, and Anna came later. We had a delicious potluck type dinner, and then a bonfire in the back yard where we made smores. There was so much catching up to be had and that's what everyone was doing. It was so much fun getting to know everyone better! I really think we should plan to have these events every month or so. I can't wait to see everyone at the Glenn Christmas Party! I think I have the best in-law family ever.

One Year Sucess

I just realized that as of yesterday, it's been one year since I started my blog up again! I think I've been doing pretty good keeping it updated. I was so bad at it in the past, I never could keep up with all the activities of my single life. But now that I'm married, I think I've got it somewhat under control. I hope all of you readers have enjoyed this past year as much as I have! And thanks for reading!

Here's to the many years to come...

Swine Scare

Is it just me, or is the H1N1 getting really annoying? Dan and I really like to watch the news as much as we can, and lately, all we've heard about is H1N1. Take last night for example, the first story on the 11:00 News for Global was about H1N1, and they talked about it for 8 minutes! To put that into perspective, the next story they talked about was about a Canadian Soldier who had died in Afghanistan and they talked about that in 1 minute. And to make matters worse, we hate needles, and that's all they show while they are talking about it! I think we get the point.

Now I don't have anyone close to me who is suffering from H1N1, but I don't think it's as bad as the media is making it to be. And 99.99% of the cases that ended in death have been because the patient had additional complications. I think everyone needs to calm down and just think logically. I've seen so many people in public washrooms not washing their hands or not washing their hands properly, and the majority of the time it's adults. This is no time for everyone to panic, we just need to take a step back and be more cautious of what we can change in our daily routines to stop the spread of viruses or diseases. Standing in line for hours on end to get a vaccine that has only been tested for a few months is not the answer. Sure it may work, but I think it's just an excuse to not sanitize properly. And now we are fighting over the vaccines! The latest in the news is that people are upset that the Calgary Flames team has already gotten the vaccine before the emergency workers in the city. Do people even realize what this had become? And has anyone noticed that this whole time that they've been covering the stories of where or when you can get vaccinated, there have been no serious cases of the H1N1? The last one that I heard of was that young boy on a hockey team who unfortunately died due to getting the Swine flu. But that was weeks ago! I do feel for this family, I really do, but what people don't understand is that people have been dieing from the Flu for a really long time, but it's just not as advertised in the media.

All I want is for people to really think about what they're hearing in the media. This can be a scary thing to go through, but there's no reason for us to be scared if we live healthy, sanitary lives. And please note that I don't want to start a commotion from this post, I'm just tired of hearing about the same thing day after day. When will this all end?

I got this picture from this website. I think it's very suiting. You should take a read!

Seeing Double Again

I know I'm a dork, but I'm going to post this anyway.

It's November 2nd, and we've been married for 2 years, 2 months, 2 weeks, and 2 days :)

Star Struck

Dan came home just before 10:00pm last night and he told me a story. While he was at work, most of the staff started whispering and running and gathering to one place of the store, the movie section. They were just staring at this guy:

No one went up to ask him if he needed help with anything. How awkward would that be for him? Having all of the staff at Best Buy surrounding you but yet no one is helping you find your favorite movie. So Dan decided to step up and approach him to ask if he was finding everything ok, and he ended up helping Dion Phaneuf buy a bunch of things from Best Buy! We thought it was pretty cool.

It's a BOY!

The Olsen family has been filled with an abundant amount of girls. In my immediate family, there are 6 girls and 1 one boy. Three girls, one boy, then three more girls. I fall second youngest. We have all grown up and moved out and some are starting families of their own. The first grandchild for my parents was a boy, Keegan. This was such a happy moment to finally have a boy in the family again! Next there came eight girls. Yes you read that correctly, eight girls all in a row. Don't get me wrong, I love every last one of them, and they are all great kids. We just feel kind of bad for Keegan. He is now 10 years old, and the only boy cousin. I am happy to announce that we have a boy who is about to join our crazy family! My sister is due in March, and she just found out that she will be having her first boy! This will be her third child. We are all very happy, and excited to meet the little guy. It's going to be so weird to not dress this baby in little pink dresses and bows!

Congratulations Jodie and Aaron!!

I Am Thankful

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving! Dan and I didn't get much of a long weekend like I had hoped. Friday night we went with a bunch on other young married couples to the Calgary Corn Maze. To me honest, the corn maze wasn't that great. But the company was! After that, half of us went to Tim Horton's for hot chocolate and donuts (that's where we went) and the other half went to Denny's. It was getting late, so we headed home.

Dan had to work from 10:00am - 6:00pm on Saturday. So we didn't get a chance to do much together that day. While he was away, I hung up some pictures around the house (which I am so happy I did, it looks a lot better) and I did the laundry. After Dan got off work, we met at Superstore and did some grocery shopping. Not too exciting I know..

Sunday was Thanksgiving Day. It started out with Church at 9:00am (5:30am for Dan with his early morning meetings), a couple episodes of The Office, then a Sunday afternoon nap, and finally dinner! We had dinner at Dan's Parents' house with the company of Spence and Laurie with 2 of their 3 kids, and Grandma Rees. Dinner was so delicious! We couldn't stay long because we also had to work the shift at our building that night. Bummer. This year we didn't have a dinner with my side of the family. I think things didn't really get organized because right now my parents' are out of town, well, out of the country. At the beginning of the month, they went down to General Conference, then they drove down to California to go to Disneyland where my Mom spent her birthday (Happy birthday mom!) then on their way back, they are stopping in Las Vegas. All of this was planned last minute. I think they are both enjoying the fact that my Dad is now retired. They will be coming home on the 21st. So needless to say, nothing got planned from my side of the family for Thanksgiving Dinner.

Monday morning came along and Dan worked again from 10:00am - 6:30pm. Good thing he got paid time and a half that day. While he was gone, I made Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins, and did the dishes. When Dan came home, we went to a movie with my sister Kimberly "Couples Retreat". This movie is so funny! Pretty much every scene had something funny in it! And that is how we ended our "long" weekend. It wasn't the greatest for me to spend it mostly alone, but it was still nice to get things done.

Now it is Tuesday and what a day it has been! This morning I got out of the shower and I noticed that it had snowed the night before... a lot. I left the house and I saw that 14th Street was closed. Great, now I have to take the back roads. All of the roads were so slick and there was traffic everywhere with all of the road closures! I finally made it on to 14th and started on my way, with my speedometer reading "0" most of the way. I thought I might know of a better way, so I turn early. I get a bit lost, but I see someone who might know where they are going, plus they had 4 wheel drive like me, so I thought it was my best choice to follow him. Not so much! He went down this hill, this really steep hill. He was a ways a head of me, so I assume that he got down just fine. There was a white car in front of me, and then a blue car that pulled in in front of him half way down the hill. I start to go down the hill and realize that the white car has lost control. He smashes into the blue car and keeps on sliding down the hill. Meanwhile, I am loosing control, and then I lost it. I thought for sure that the blue car would start following the white car and pull in front of me to get their insurance information, and if it I would have hit them for sure! Instead, the girl gets out of the blue car and runs on foot down the hill to the white car who has finally come to a stop. And I am still out of control. I definitely had a prayer in my heart to keep me safe and amazingly enough, I was steered straight the whole way down the hill. I didn't veer to any side like the other cars had done in front of me. I know that I was being watched over. Once I gained control again, I was shaking. I tried to go further and ended up getting caught in even more traffic. I finally decided that my safety just wasn't worth it. I was already really late for work. I called in and told them that I was going to go home and try again later. And this was an hour after I had left the house. So I went home and Dan and I watched an episode of The Office and then I tried to venture out again. I left at about 9:45am and this time, I stayed with the roads that I knew best. It took me until 11:30am to get to work, but at least I made it safe and sound. And that is what I am most thankful for this Thanksgiving season.

One Week In

It's been one week yesterday since Dan has had his full-time job. So far, it's been great for both of us! The only time that Dan worked from 2:00pm - 10:00pm was on his first day, and every other day, it's been 9:00am - 5:00pm. Perfect. He hasn't had to work on the weekends yet either! Well, other than his training meeting that he had Sunday morning, but I don't think that really counts as working per say. I just found out yesterday that he has to work from 2:00pm - 10:00pm tonight. I'm hoping that this doesn't have to happen that often. There is another guy there who works the same position as Dan and he prefers to work the later shift, which is nice for us! Dan has really been enjoying this new part of his life. He has been working in different departments in the store everyday so that he learns about all of the product. And there is a lot to learn! The only ones who don't really like having both of us working all day is our cats. They have been spoiled with having at least one of us at home during the day, but now they are all alone all day, every weekday. I think they'll get over it. At least they have each other to keep themselves entertained. I really like the feeling of being at work, and knowing that Dan is at work too. I hate it when I am working and Dan is at home. It also sucks when I come home from work and Dan is just starting work. It hasn't really set in for me that Dan actually has a job, but I think it will once he gets his first pay check. We are going to try our very best not to go overboard now that we have more income, because our goal right now is to save, save, SAVE! We are trying to cut back on eating out, even though we don't that much, I want to cut back even more, and buying the "little" things, like treats or toys. I know it's the "little" things that can really add up and make a big difference. And most of the time it's things we don't really need either. It's time to cut back... even more. However, it's going to be tempting knowing that we get an awesome discount at Best Buy in 3 months. Yikes!

Last Saturday we decided that we should go check out the Balzac Mall again. I needed new work pants because the weather is getting colder and I only have one pair! Well, I have more, but they're too small for me now. Yes, it's true, I've gained weight. Maybe this no more eating out thing will help me with that too! So we went to the mall and I got one pair of pants that I need to hem. However, we spent a good chunk of cash on some home decor. It was really needed though. Our home doesn't look like a home. And now it looks a lot better. We have some pictures that still need to be hung, and I think that will tie everything together. We bought a tree plant, a phone stand, and a small pot with grass in it. Of course the plants are fake because nothing would last in our steaming apartment. And we really needed a phone stand because we were using a TV tray before.

I promise we won't go overboard with spending... starting... now!

Happy News!

Dan got a job!!! I honestly couldn't be any happier! Here's how it went down..

Dan applied to Best Buy online and an hour after he finished, they called him to set up an interview for a manager position. The day finally came and he was told that all of the positions had just filled up, but there would probably be something better at a different location because of his degree. So Dan drives to the Best Buy in Deerfoot Meadows and meets the person he was supposed to see and was offered the job right then and there. He didn't even get interviewed! He looked at his resume and noticed that he graduated from U of L and turns out, that's where he had graduated from too! He was told that he could move up very fast in the company and pretty much expected him to in about 3 months or so. We won't get our hopes up, but until then, Dan is working at Best Buy as a Business Coordinator. The starting pay is just what we need especially for right now. He started today at 2:00pm to organize his working schedule and details. I'm so proud of him. We ever expected it to take this long for him to find a half decent job, but I'm sure glad he stuck it out long enough to find this one. We are excited about the potential it will give him and for the second income. This is the first time that both of us have had full time jobs at the same time. I think we'll like it. I can't wait to buy a house!

Cat Moments

I have a couple videos of Izzie and Chester that I finally got off of my camera. The first one is Izzie's first experience with cat grass. She really didn't know what to do with it, but Chester showed her the way:

This one I just took this morning. Can you find Izzie?

Little Izzie at the Vet

I took Izzie for her very first Vet appointment yesterday. Before we left, I set out the pet carrier so that she could get used to going inside and feeling comfortable in it. Before I knew it, Izzie was sleeping inside of it! She slept for pretty much the full hour before we left. I felt bad though because when it was time to go, I had to wake her up to put her bed inside of it, so when we were on the move, she was a bit groggy and confused as to what was going on. We arrived and she was very popular! The receptionist called up other veterinarians so that they could come and have a look at her. First thing they did before we got into a room was weigh her. 1.17 kgs! That's just over 2.5 pounds! I wonder how much she weighed when we first got her? She's grown so much since then. I really thought she would have weighed more than that. She is such a mooch when it comes to food. She will beg and beg until you give her some of what you're having! We really made it a point to not give her too many treats, so maybe that made us think that we were already giving her too much and expected her to weigh more. We got into a room, which was actually the same room I had when I took Chester in, and he checked her out. She was such a good girl the whole time. She didn't even flinch or meow when he gave her a booster shot! The appointment took no more than 5 minutes inside that room and it ended up costing us close to $100! I wish I could make $100 for every 5 minutes of work. Turns out that she will need another shot in a few weeks too! For Izzie being a free cat, she sure is expensive! But we love her anyways. When we got home, Chester was pretty excited to see her again. I put her down and opened her carrier and Chester greeted her right away. So cute.

Birthdays Lately

September has become a busy month for Birthdays! I'm so sorry I'm late on this birthday post! Last week, we had 3 birthdays in my family.

On Monday, Sept 14, was Madison's 5th birthday!


Then on Friday, Sept 18, was my sister Kristie's birthday. She is the oldest sibling in my family.


And on Saturday, Sept 19, was Cheslea's 3rd birthday! Both Chelsea and Madison are my sister Jodie's daughters. We are going to celebrate their birthdays this Saturday, Sept 26.


Also, it's Dan's dad's birthday today!


Happy Birthday to you all!

J.D Power & Associates

This morning I got to work and we were all treated with some very good news. Last Friday the managers all went to Jasper, and at the time, I didn't know why they went. I came to find out this morning that they went to accept an award from J.D Power & Associates because Sterling Homes won the highest ranked in the 2009 Canadian New Home Builder Customer Satisfaction Study for Calgary Alberta. We even won it in Edmonton too! I am very happy to be apart of such an accomplishment in this company, and hopefully many more to come! Click here and go to pages 3 & 4 to see the results.

3 Month Mark

I have now been working at Sterling Homes for 3 months as of today. I can't believe it's been that long already! It sure doesn't feel like I'm still new here, I know my way around pretty good I think. It's just weird to think that it's been 3 whole months since I came in on my first day.

My parents and my sister Kimberly came by yesterday to see where I worked. That was a nice pick-me-up. Lately I have felt so distant from my side of the family. I don't know exactly what it is, but I don't like it. It was nice to see them for that short visit.

Izzie also just passed her 3 month birthday as of two days ago. She seems to be growing up so fast, but she's still really tiny. Over the month that she's lived with us, we have learned that she has an obsession with feet and shoes. Maybe it's because her feet have an extra toe on them? Her and Chester get along great... for the most part. We haven't seen them really fighting to actually hurt the other, but they do play fight pretty rough sometimes. Izzie and Gunther, well that's another story. All of the animals share the same room at night, and Izzie learned how to climb up Gunther's cage and hang out with him all night. Sure it was funny at first, but lately Gunther has been a little more attracted to her if you know what I mean. Gunther is not fixed, and neither is Izzie. We don't want to have anything happen just incase. So we had to board up the top of Gunther's cage, which I don't think he likes at all. Now it seems that he gets even less attention from everyone because he's all covered up. Hopefully we won't have to do this for too much longer.

Oh Nine

Today is September 9, 2009. You know what that means...09/09/09! Turns out, it's my friend's birthday today too! Happy birthday Meaghan!

Tonight, I officially start my new calling in 5th Ward as Cub Scout Assistant Leader. Our first activity of the new season starts at 6:30pm. I am so nervous! I have no clue what to expect, let alone what I'm supposed to do. I'm sure with time I will learn, but until then... I'm still scared.

Two Jack Lake

This past long weekend we started off on Saturday by going to a place on the way to Banff called Two Jack Lake. Dan and I drove ourselves and met up with his parents and his brother Spencer and two of his boys, Ethan and Will. Spencer cooked up some hot dogs and corn on the cob for lunch right when we arrived. We brought some fruit with dip. We ate, then walked around for awhile. Ethan and Will wanted to show us the island that they had named Apple Island. Last time they visited Two Jack Lake, they threw an apple on that island, and now that's what it is named.

They played in the water pretty much the whole time we were there. They also wanted Dan and Grandma to play on the island, but since Grandma was wearing sneakers, Will thought up this great idea. "Hey Uncle Dan, you can carry Grandma across!" That made us laugh pretty hard.

After seeing Apple Island, we went to the other side of where our picnic table was to another island which was a bit bigger. We then went on a small hike alongside the lake. The kids really enjoyed that.

It's so peaceful and quiet there, I didn't want to leave. It was such a change from living in the big city.

On our way out, we came across these two goats right on the side of the road! We were so close to them!

Once we left, Dan and I went to Banff to make a stop at a candy store. We couldn't go all that way without treating ourselves, right? While we were there, we saw a horse and carriage too. We went home and relaxed for the rest of the day.

Sunday we went to church, and barely anyone was there! It was a nice Sunday and I actually got a lot out of the lessons and was able to feel the spirit there.

Monday we meant to go out. We had planned on maybe going to Sylvan Lake to go to the water slides there, but then we thought it might be a bit too pricey. Well what about rafting down the Bow River? The forecast was calling for stronger, cool winds, with the temperature not as high as we'd like either. Why don't we go to the Zoo? Again, with the money thing and weather. So Monday ended up being a day of relaxation, which turned out to be quite nice. We rented a movie - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, then went to bed.

The long weekend was just what I needed.

Seeing Double

I have been pretty bored at work lately (there's not as many sales coming in right now) so I have been watching my blog pretty close. I happened to notice my Anniversary Ticker. Dan and I have been married for 2 years, 2 weeks, and 2 days as of September 2nd! I thought it was pretty cool.

A Night Out

Last night was nice. After I got home from work, Dan and I went out to the new mall just north of the city, Cross Iron Mills. I've never seen a mall like it! Very decorative and interesting. The stores there were pretty good too. Each one had their own style. We walked around there and ate at the food court. We didn't buy anything though. This was more of a curiosity trip. We then headed straight from there to Elliston Park to go see the Global Fest Fireworks! I love these fireworks. We try to go at least once every year. This year we saw China! They have won the competition before, so we expected something spectacular, and that's just what we saw. Well done China! I actually really enjoyed it how the music that they were playing was all from China. No American tunes, but I did recognize a couple. I brought my camera just incase, but I was just too enthralled in the performance, I didn't want to be interrupted with that. Plus, seeing it on camera doesn't even do the actual performance justice. I really recommend Global Fest Fireworks every year if you want to experience something that not very many people in the world get to. Just make sure you get your tickets months in advance, because they are cheaper that way.

After the fireworks, there are crowds everywhere. My advise to you, it to follow the biggest crowd, because they probably know where they're going. When we walked out of the Park, we noticed a bunch of people taking a "short-cut", while the majority were walking back the same way we came. We thought, why not try the short cut? BAD IDEA. We ended up going through a hole in the fence and walking the opposite way of the people we were following through thistles and across train tracks and then through another hole in the fence. I was not impressed. I'm sorry for complaining so much Dan. At least we made it out alive and didn't find any dead bodies or strange lurkers.

It was so nice to just spend quality time with Dan. We are feeling a bit stressed partly due to the fact that Dan still doesn't have a job. It's not that he's not looking, because he's getting interviews and they give him hope, but then he gets beat out by someone with experience. What a vicious cycle we're in. I know that he will find something that he enjoys, but I guess we're both getting antsy. Needless to say, last night was pretty relaxing, other than our jungle quest.

Keegan's Double Didgets

My nephew Keegan turns 10 years old today! He is the oldest out of all the grandkids in the Olsen family. He is also the only boy! I was only 13 when he was born and it seems like just yesterday. I just can't believe how much he's grown up. Time really does fly!

Have a happy birthday Keegs!!

Cute

Here is a cute video that I got of Izzie. Chester is at the very end of the video too. Chester really does love Izzie, even though it doesn't really look like it.

Surprise!

My family threw a surprise birthday party for my Dad today! He turned 60 on August 20th! My sister Jodie had told him that we were thinking of going to a splash park by their house and then wanted to go out for dinner for his birthday. Pretty good. We all met at the splash park in Panorama Hills at the little community hall there.

My dad was pretty surprised when he showed up!




Most of his family were able to make it from all the way from Edmonton and Cardston!

We had beef on a bun for dinner and then cake from Costco!

It was really nice to see everyone there.
(From left to right: Tom, Anne, Karl, and my Dad-Jim)


All of the Olsen's

I think the kids had a lot of fun too...






Happy 60th birthday Dad!!

Izzie

I talked Dan into letting me get a kitten. So he let me get one as my anniversary gift from him! She is soooo adorable! She has an extra toe on each paw, so it looks like she has little mittens on her front feet. She is an orange and white Tabby with black markings on her head and back (Calico). I really can't get enough of her! Chester was a bit uneasy when we first brought her home on Saturday. We heard him actually hiss, and he never hisses. But now that it's been a few days, they are inseparable, and Chester is back to not hissing. Izzie follows Chester around all day and she's so interested in what he'll do next. I think Chester is pretty happy now that he has someone to play with when we're not home. Izzie also is getting used to Gunther. She wasn't too sure about him at first, but they are doing just fine now.

Welcome to the family Izzie!

2 Year Anniversary

Yesterday was our 2 year anniversary! I can't believe it has already come and gone. Time flies!

The day was ok. It was a Monday morning to start things off, so not the greatest. I was super busy at work all day. I even worked through my lunch and a little over time. I didn't want to have to stay too late because I knew that Dan had something planned. He didn't tell me what it was, but I knew we were going to go out for dinner. So after I got home, he told me to "look nice" for dinner, because sometimes it's fun to dress up. Then he told me we were going to Arby's. Just like how Puddy and Elaine off of Seinfeld always go on dates to Arby's, and Elaine gets the Roast Beef. Too funny! So we were on the road headed downtown, and we ended up going to the Calgary Tower for dinner!! Don't get me wrong, I've been to the Calgary Tower before, but never to eat there. So many people have told me that they would take me, and they never did. You know who you are. I was so excited! We got an awesome booth so that both of us were facing the window the whole time. We even spotted the building that we live in!

It's right in the middle of the two tall buildings. The red with white balconies. Can you see it?

I had the Pork, and Dan got the Chicken. Both meals were so delicious... and expensive. We spent a lot there, and we didn't even get dessert or fancy drinks. But it was fun to do for our special occasion. I love you Dan!