2010 Resolutions

I'm really off to a slow start this year with my New Year's Resolutions. Usually I get going by the 15th of January but this year it's just not happening! I'll try to give them a go by February 1st.

This year's resolution will be similar to last year's resolutions. I will continue to try to achieve these goals.

1) Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

I was pretty good last year in reducing and reusing. Recycling wasn't too bad I suppose but I will make a bigger effort this year by actually adding composting to our recycling regime. Then I would feel like I have achieved this resolution completely.

2) Lose Weight

I was pretty successful with this last year. I did lose those 15 lbs. that I wanted to. But during the holidays I did gain 3-4 lbs back. So I will lose those plus an additional 3-4 lbs. to bring me to a weight were Gord has promised to buy me a new pair of very fancy (read expensive!) jeans! I did join Curves last year but that did not go well since I had hurt my knee. Once I was able to return, I had no interest. So for now it's yoga and walking when the weather gets better.

3) Drink more Bubbly!

This is my personal favorite! During the holidays, you tend to drink lots of champagne and sparkling wine. I really do enjoy this including any cocktail made with said wine such as Champagne Cosmos or Kir Royale. So, really, there is no reason why I cannot drink my favorite bubbly regularily. And if there is no one to share with, well, Mimosas it is for breakfast! So I have a case of sparkling wine and this resolution will certainly be easy to start more than likely this coming Saturday!

Road Trip

This past weekend we were lucky enough to go on a road trip. We were expected to go visit our dear friends C, P, and G at their cottage in Jay Peak next weekend but after discovering that ski school was starting that weekend and that our cottage contractor wanted us out for 2 weeks, we decided to move our road trip up a week. Good thing our friends obliged!

It was a long ride to get to Jay Peak through what seemed like every tiny little cow pasture. I am certain we drove by every single farm in Quebec on our way there! Not to mention it was snowing those thick, big, sticky snowflakes, the kind that sticks to every road sign and therefore making it most difficult to find our way. But alas we made it! And we were graciously received on the other end with well-deserved drinks and a fabulous dinner.

That next morning we were set to go skiing on what was to be the coldest day of the winter. What our friends forgot to tell us is that when it is cold, it is bloody cold at Jay! I, literally, have never be this cold in my entire life! Going up the chair lift, better known as The Freezer, I had one of those brain freezes like when you drink a slushy too fast. Except it wouldn't go away! And once at the top, I had to take some pictures because it was just awesome! Remember those thick, big, sticky snowflakes falling the night before? Well, they fell all over the county and they were now so frozen onto the trees making the landscape most incredibly gorgeous! It honestly felt like we were in Alaska. I only managed to take 2 photos before my hands froze to a point of no return. Check it out!

Views from the top of Jay Peak, Vermont

Girls goofing around after supper

We decided to take her easy the following day and just kind of hang around the cottage. So we snowshoed and tobagganed and played in the treehouse. It was much milder weather wise so it was much more pleasant being outside.

View from the cottage property

The 3 Musketeers

G, Alexia and Cara-Li

A big thank you to our friends for being the best hosts and for entertaining us for the weekend. We had a fabulous time!

In Loving Memory

Today was a very difficult day for our family but mostly for my sweet sister-in-law, T, and her family. On Dec. 29th, the world lost a wonderful person... a daughter, a sister, a wife, a mother, a grandmother. C. was my sister-in-law's Mom who was taken away from her and her sisters at a too young an age after a very courageous battle with cancer. It was heart wrenching to watch them bury a woman who had so more much living to do. But alas, life is not fair and those who are left behind will pick up the pieces and continue on with life as she would have wanted. Easier said than done.

T, we will remember your Mom forever in our hearts. Big hugs to you and your family. XOX

Holiday Activities

One final post about the different things we did during the holidays. I found some of these pictures in my little camera which I hadn't downloaded in a while.

Cara-Li and Alexia went to a Christmas Wreath workshop here at our local library. They got to decorate a gingerbread wreath with icing and candy. I then put a red pillar candle in the middle of each wreath and used them as my table centerpiece for the holidays.

That same day, they headed off to the university arena to skate with Buzz the Bee, the university mascot. This is a yearly event that we have been attending she Cara-Li was little. It is so much fun for the girls to skate around with Buzz and Santa Claus too. Since this event is always held two Saturdays before Christmas, I am usually never there as I am working at the store. So this is a Dad and daughters event. The girls had to wear their cycling helmets since Dad couldn't find their skate helmets :)

This year we went for Christmas Eve dinner at Gord's brother, G, and sister-in-law, B. We had a lovely dinner with them and our nephews before coming home before Santa's arrival. The girls had to go straight to bed if they wanted Santa to come.

Mom and Dad stayed up to make sure that Santa did come to deliver all the goodies and to make sure that he ate his cookies and drank his milk. The reindeers nibbled on their carrots too.

Christmas day was spent at my parents' house as usual. No turkey to be found there however. Only ravioli and roasted veal. Like good Italians :) Good thing we had our friends over at the cottage a few days later. That's when we had our turkey fill!

Boxing Day was spent doing a whole lotta nothin'. All that was planned was dinner across the lake with J, C and J. And that was enough for me!

At was our turn to host this year's New Year' Eve dinner with J, C and J again. On the menu, lobsters, prime rib and all the fixings. Yummy! Here are the boys playing with their dinner just before intruding him to a pot of boiling water. Just prior, they were holding lobster races in the snow. God help us!

And finally, a day of just playing in the snow. I love watching kids just have a grand old time just jumping around in snow banks. It doesn,T take much sometimes.

And here is Alexia actually enjoying skiing for the first time this season. There is hope for her yet as she was really quite good. Let's see what this winter brings us.

Year 2009 in Review

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year to you all!