Merry Christmas Everyone!

Here are just a few pictures from our Christmas festivities!

As you can see, Santa gave our Katie Cat a bicycle! She excitedly sat on it, unable to understand the peddling system, while showcasing her new Dora pyjamas and robe. Santa was good to us as well as we received many items from our wedding registry :-)

Ctik is on vacation!

I'm on vacation!!!!! Yeah!!!! To celebrate, Scott and I took to the town. We started our evening in Gastown, had a drink at a pub, and then headed to the Blarney Stone to hear a live band and to cut some tile! The highlight of the night, which will seem baffling to most, was when the band played one of my favourite songs of all time, Loch Lomond. This song takes me back to many a céilidh.

On Saturday we headed into Vancouver again so that Scott could do some surveying and I could shop! After that we bought food for our Christmas Eve get together at our house and then headed to Rogers Video where we rented An Inconvenient Truth. This documentary unveils the truth about how humans are systematically and very successfully increasing the size of our ecological footprint. The problem is that politicians and business people have been madly trying to avoid this issue because, as Al Gore stated, once they acknowledge the issue, addressing it will become a moral imperative. Scott and I were alarmed at the statistics presented during this piece and sat in shock at the fact that Gore actually lost the presidential election to a intellectual simpleton by the name of George Bush. Listening to Al Gore present intelligent, reasoned, and compassionate dialogue really highlighted the difference between the two men, and forces us to wonder how the world would be different today had the Florida re-count been allowed to proceed. We highly recommend renting this documentary and sharing its message with anyone who will listen.

Our Annual Christmas Pot Luck Dinner!

Mr. and Mrs. Mackey were the kind hosts of this year's annual Christmas pot luck dinner! It was fun to finally see their newly renovated townhouse. They've done a really fantastic job picking out paint colours and decor items. I especially loved their choice of flooring.

During the course of the evening we got caught up on all of the happenings of our lives, enjoyed yummy food, and reflected on the changes since last year's pot luck. Katarina was born this year, and Chris and Cindy will be parents shortly into the new year :-) I can't wait to meet their little boy.

My wish is that we can continue to stay connected and enjoy our Christmas pot luck dinner for many more years to come!

Thanks for being such great friends everyone!

Christmas at Ctik's...

Over the weekend Scott and I were busy decorating our home, drinking egg nog, as well as buying and wrapping Christmas gifts.

After several placements were considered, we decided that the tree should be positioned just before the entrance to the kitchen. Once we finished adding our decorative touches, I sat back and wondered why it is that I have a tree in my living room! It is an interesting tradition that I have never questioned and I undertake this ritual with delight every December. I'm especially excited to have our Katie Cat come over and see all of our decorations!

Ctik takes to the town!

On Friday night Scott and I ventured into the big city and went shopping! We managed to pick out a few Christmas gifts for our loved ones; we may have also broken several rules as we managed to pick out a few gifts for ourselves. Shhhh... my mom would be so upset to hear about such self-indulgence before the big day :-) After our escapades at Pacific Centre we went to the Chef & Carpenter for dinner with Scott's family. Twelve of us were treated to delicious food that was prepared by our chef, Denis :-)

The rest of our weekend was spent lounging about and enjoying each other's company. This morning was especially wonderful as we sipped piping hot coffee and stared outside as snow blanketed the earth.

Mary & Sam celebrate 60 years of marital bliss!

We travelled over to Sechelt to celebrate my auntie Mary and uncle Sam's 60th wedding anniver- sary! Their family put on a truly special afternoon at a small restaurant overlooking the Strait of Georgia. Members of the wedding party were in attendance, including their flower girl! It was especially heart warming to see uncle Sam holding his great grandson, Rylan, while great grandaughter, Ava, was standing beside auntie Mary :-)

Scott and I managed to take a walk along the beach and enjoyed the fresh air at this beautiful locale.

Katie enjoyed staring at the water, and continually commented on the water on each Langdale ferry trip. She loves baths, water, rain, anything wet. Perhaps we have a future swimmer?

Nous allons à Paris!

The tickets to Paris are officially booked! Yeah!!!! For years I have wanted to visit the Eiffel Tower, the Palace of Versailles, the Louve... I can't believe that I am actually going to do it! I'm just thrilled.

We will be leaving at 11:00 am on the Sunday after the wedding (March 18th). Our return home is slated for the following Sunday on the 25th of March, so we will have plenty of time to visit all of the amazing sights and cafes that Paris has to offer!

Has anyone got any advice for us? Things to do and see?

140 days to go...

Well, the wedding plans are coming along very nicely (touch wood!). In fact, we have confirmed the date, location, Reverend, dresses (Jeanette's, Kate's, as well as mine) and the photographer. Further, we have picked, ordered, and received the wedding invitations, and we have selected our wedding bands!!!!! Last night we registered at The Bay and had a tough time selecting from all of the beautiful Denby collections. We decided on a very elegant, yet simple line entitled 'Linen'. We have also decided on an idea for our wedding favours and they are well on their way to completion. Lastly, 'Black & Lee' has offered to provide the tuxedos for free. This fun surprise was orchestrated by Scott's dad who has the connection.

Although I've never really been a 'wedding person', I'm surprised at how excited I am getting about the 'big day'. Every day I discover new reasons why I love Scott; he's just such a quality person and I enjoy being in his company.

Dinner at Ctik & Scott's house...

Thanks to Tracy, Cindy, Kim, Jeanette, Kate, Andrew, Kelvin, Tosh, and Chris for coming over to our house for dinner in celebration of our engagement. We ate great food, chatted, and had a cut-throat game of no-stakes poker :-)

Kim even made us a cake from scratch! It was an incredibly sweet gesture.




"Let them eat cake!"






To my delight Kate was very well behaved as she played with her Dora figurines, and filled Tosh's boots with Smarties!

It was also exciting to see Cindy's expanding baby belly! She said that she can now feel the baby and is going for her next ultra-sound next month. I can't wait to see the 3D pics!

Ctik takes the plunge...

Well, it's official, we're engaged! Scott proposed after a scrumptious dinner at Jameson's in Newport Village on September 29th. I think that he's a wonderful person and I feel grateful to have met him. Besides, he'll make a great first husband (just kidding, mom!).

We have tentatively booked the Gallery Room at Westwood Plateau Golf and Country Club for Saturday, March 17th, 2007. This is the first day of my Spring Break, so we'll have the following week to go somewhere and relax :-)

Details to follow...

CTIK takes to the water...

On the Sunday before Labour Day a friend of mine and her boyfriend took Scott and I out on their boat. We set sail from Rocky Point and maneuvered around the Belcarra area. We met up with other friends, who rented a canoe for the afternoon. We feasted on salmon, brie and crackers, and many other wonderful treats. My friend and Scott were both very courageous as they braved the cold water (as well as sea critters and beasts) and water-skied. They both did a fantastic job and got a great workout at the same time.

Thanks for a great time guys!

Congratulations Paula & Colin Kaburia!

On Sunday, August 27th, Scott, Jeanette, and I (Andrew was working) attended Paula's wedding! As you can see, Paula looked absolutely fantastic. Just before Paula walked down the aisle, she was welcomed into the Kaburia family by the Kenyan women who sang and trilled outside of the church; this created a truly spectacular atmosphere. After the ceremony, Paula and Colin were led out of the church by even more singing and trilling! I simply loved it!

The reception was held at Newlands in Langley where we were treated to touching speeches, multi-cultural entertainment, and a waist-line expanding array of foods from which to choose :-) We all had a wonderful time and were happy that Paula included us in this special day.

Feasting on Thai Food...

Special thanks to Sherrie and Richard for treating Scott and I to a wonderful meal at a local Thai restaurant. We ate a wonderful assortment of dishes until I ended up in a full food coma and realized that it, indeed, was time to pack it in. The trough was cleared and its contents packaged, so that we may continue our feasting tomorrow morning :-)

CTIK takes to the wilderness...

Although it was deemed impossible by a few, I did, in fact, survive the wilderness! Some co-workers, their significant others, Scott, and I trekked (okay, drove :0) to a beautiful lake and set up our camp. Highlights include the company of Scott (as always), a swim in the lake, and a beautiful walk to a river where we looked at rocks (including many lava rocks), immersed our hands in clay, and drank what hopefully is really clean glacial water. Although the weather posed as a challenge to my fun, the sun seemed to peak through the clouds at the exact moment that we walked out of the forest and onto the river bed. For a brief moment, time seemed to stand still; it was a truly magical moment that I simply will not forget.

Roasting the Carcass!

Scott and I just returned from the interior where we participated in his family's pig roast. It was held at the most beautiful locale which consists of a large expanse of land and a cute house situated atop a hill overlooking magnificent scenery. His aunt and uncle were kind hosts who made me feel very welcome. In fact, the same holds true for his other family members who were all very warm and welcoming towards me.

On the first day we went to his other uncle's cottage at Lake Okanagan. We swam for a bit and then went back to the house to prepare for the roasting of the carcass. I managed to maintain my focus and not freak out at the fact that this poor pig was dumped on a table, merely waiting for the fire!!!! The crazy part is that when Scott and I went to find us 'some pig', one of the ears had already been taken!!!!! Yikes!

Special Note: Scott is actually about 10 inches taller than me, so I may appear tall in this pic, but it, unfortunately, isn't reality :-)

I've Moved!

Well, I'm finally beginning my new life in my new home and I couldn't be happier! Gosh, when I think back to Christmas, I never imagined that my life could get back on the rails. It's amazing what great friends and family can do for you. Thanks to all of you for listening to my incessant complaining, ramblings, and fits of crying.