Its the Most Wonderful Time of the Year!

So here I am, wrapping presents in the comfort of my room (which is absolutely freezing!!) welcome Tbay winters..ugh so cold, but anyway I'm wrapping presents and listening to christmas music and I couldnt ask for a better night:)

I have been horrible this year! Why is it I just can't seem to get into the Spirit of things yet, we have no decorations up at my house yet which is SO not NORMAL for us! We always have our stuff up within the first week. Busy lives make enjoying the hoidays soo difficult! I have no time to do anything between work and school and exams, I barely find time to see family friends let alone spend a WHOLE evening at home putting up christmas stuff! But I have made a goal and I am going to sssssslllloooooooowwwwwww down and begin to enjoy the holidays as of ToDaY!

My favourite part of the holidays so far have been my Sunday night shows going Christmas. For any of you who don't know me my favourite reality show on the face of this earth is Extreme Home makeover and just this past weekend they started the holiday editions and they were awesome! For any of you who don't want to forget what the true meaning of Christmas is please watch next Sunday 8pm central and tune in for the new holiday Extreme Home Makeover. I saw the previews and I couldnt keep the tears out of my eyes! One little boy shows us that even when you think your life is hard to handle, there is always someone who is worse off then you, and he does his best to help out those less fortunate when he is struggling with a disability himself (insert corny sigh here) *sigh* :)

Anywhoo I hope everyone is enjoying their holidays so far! Fa la la la la! Merry Christmas and everyone, and remember, take my advice, slow down and really enjoy spending time with the people you love this season it goes by way too fast!

 

Twas the Month Before Christmas...

Well ladies and gentlemen its here! The official start to the Christmas season is upon us! Its Decemeber 1st and that means in 24 shorts days it will be christmas...where the heck did 2010 go!?  Anywho I look forward to this month every year because Christmas truly is the greatest season of all!

Spending time with family, buying gifts, decorating the house, watching Christmas movies, volunteering, I LOVE it all! Even the way people act during this season is different, I find people are often friendlier, you can strike up a conversation with a stranger in the store and it's comfortable.... I love walking through the decorated malls packed with people, arms loaded with bags, I love the rush and commotion of it all!

This christmas season I have vowed to make it extra special, as my last FULL Christmas season in Tbay I have a lot to pack into 24 days but I'll do it! I wish everyone a season full of holly and happiness! 

Moments in Life

I received this in an email and I just wanted to share because I loved it so much and wanted to share it's message! Enjoy!

There are moments in life when you miss someone 
so much that you just want to pick them from 
your dreams and hug them for real!

When the door of happiness closes, another opens; 
but often times we look so long at the 
closed door that we don't see the one, 
which has been opened for us.

Don't go for looks; they can deceive. 
Don't go for wealth; even that fades away. 
Go for someone who makes you smile, 
because it takes only a smile to 
make a dark day seem bright. 
Find the one that makes your heart smile.

Dream what you want to dream; 
go where you want to go; 
be what you want to be, 
because you have only one life 
and one chance to do all the things 
you want to do. 

May you have enough happiness to make you sweet, 
enough trials to make you strong, 
enough sorrow to keep you human and 
enough hope to make you happy. 

The happiest of people don't necessarily 
have the best of everything; 
they just make the most of 
everything that comes along their way. 

The brightest future will always 
be based on a forgotten past; 
you can't go forward in life until 
you let go of your past failures and heartaches. 

When you were born, you were crying 
and everyone around you was smiling. 
Live your life so at the end, 
you're the one who is smiling and everyone 
around you is crying. 

Don't Count The Years - Count The Memories!   

Life Is Only Travelled Once, 
Today's Moment Becomes tomorrow's Memory.' 
Enjoy Every Moment, Good Or Bad, 
Because The Gift Of Life Is Life Itself.

The First Step...

So I can finally sit back and breathe a HUGE sigh of relief...for a second anyway. I finally put in my university application today. It is so nerve wracking now to just have to be patient and wait to hear back from them. I still have a few things to send in but the general application is finished..$235.00 later...thanks Mom! :P As you may have seen from my first post I am taking a huge leap and moving to Toronto in May of 2011 so attend school and eventually, hopefully, get a job teaching down south. There are not too many jobs currently in Thunder Bay so I know I am hoping my options and opportunities are much better there.

Now after my sigh of relief has come to an end I can get re-stressed and start worrying about additional application processes. And worrying what my options are if I DON'T get in...but we aren't going to even think about that right now! Wish me luck people and I will keep you updated!


CONTINUED...

Now for a different sort of post because the first part wasn't all that interesting lol, just a little update about whats going on in my life right now...I started teaching SK French immersion twice a week at a school in town and I absolutely love it! I'm trained to teach high school but there is just something about those kids, I walked in day 1 and they stole my heart. They are the sweetest kids and everyday I leave with a smile on my face and a funny story to tell, which I'm sure my mom and friends can agree because they have to listen to them EVERYDAY! :)

This week school wise has been pretty uneventful but I am definitely looking forward to getting away for the weekend and heading down to Minneapolis for the weekend! Shopping and shopping and oh ya...even more shopping ;) I'll let you know how crazy the Black Friday crowds were and all about my weekend when I'm back. Until then I hope everyone has a great weekend and the weather stays warm here in TBay :)

Picturesque Thunder Bay winter *sigh..so pretty!

Summer Thoughts

So I'm procrastinating homework...shocking! I know lol, anywho I was sitting here thinking about how much I love winter because of course it brings my favourite holiday in its wake....CHRISTMAS!

However I must say by the time Christmas rolls around I am sure I will be complaining about the lack of sunshine and heat. So I am going to take the next couple minutes to reminisce about camp and summer and sunshine!:)

Good friends, sunshine, and summertime!

Okay so my two minutes are up, bring on the snow, the blizzards, the early evenings and bring on Christmas! :) 

Outside the Box

I like, rather LOVE to read books. I am quite picky when I read books though, yes I judge them by their covers occasionally, but if the little blurb at the back of the book doesn't catch my attention chances are I won't read it. Anyone who is close to me will know that I lost my grandpa to Alzheimers about 2 years ago on Christmas Eve. It is one of the hardest things to watch a loved one go through. My grandpa was a great guy, he taught me how to play crib, poker, and blackjack so I'd be pro at the casinos:) He was bloody brilliant too. There was no question he couldn't answer. Someone who has that much intelligence is inspiring to be around but it made it even more painful to watch him lose everything he ever knew. By the time he passed away he knew very few people in my family. He stopped recognizing my sister and I about 1 year before he passed away. He was a great man and will always be remembered as the brilliant man he was.

I recently came across a book on someones book list called Still Alice. One of my best friends saw it on my "To Read" list and bought it for my 21st birthday! I've never read anything by this author or of this sort before so it was quite out of the box for me but I'm so glad I did read it! It is a book about a Harvard Psych Professor who finds out she has early onset Alzheimers. It's the story about how she handles the disease and how her family learns to live with someone who starts to forget everything she once knew. It is easily the BEST book I have ever read. It's heart breaking but at the same time so inspiring. It will make you smile and cry as she progresses, I truly recommend this book to anyone who has ever experienced the affect of Alzheimers or if you just want to read a really great book! Enjoy and post a like it/love it/hate it after you read! Cheers!

Believers Challenge from Iraq

Remembrance Day, November 11th, I truly would like to thank every veteran and the soldiers out on the front lines fighting for us right now. You have given us freedom, you have risked your lives so that we can live peacefully. You all are truly heroes and today is the day we honor and remember everything you have done for us.

Joe Nichols is one of my favourite country artists and he travelled to Iraq to film a video for a single he wrote called Believers. This is one of my favourite songs and I think it is a great depiction of just what these soldiers go through day to day. So remember to take 5 minutes today and send up a prayer of thanks for all who have been brave enough to fight for this beautiful country.

Joe Nichole - Believers

Things That Matter...

In this blog you will be introduced to things that matter the most to me, pictures I treasure, and people who I could not imagine my life without! Enjoy

*Rascal Flatts, to me, are the greatest band in the world and my dreams came true Sept 5th, 2010 when I got to meet them backstage before their concert. One of the greatest nights of my life!

*This is Jess, one of the best friends a girl could ask for! She keeps me grounded and makes sure my ego doesn't get too big for my own good! :)

*Jess and I attend concerts yearly, it's our favourite way to spend money. This was the night we ended up in the 4th row at a Keith Urban concert. I caught his wristband and we had excellent seats!

*Everyone meet my mother, the most hardworking, caring, loving, kind individual I will ever have the pleasure to know. If I am half the woman she is when I'm older I would be proud! Love you mama!

*We've been a fab four for quite awhile and I'll never forget summers spent at camp and random nights of doing absolutely nothing but chillaxing together and laughing.

*A collection of some of my oldest and best friends:) This was my first time to Toronto (soon to be my future home) and I had a great time. These people make my life happier and I thank them for that! 

*One of the most proud moments of my entire life, not many people can say they were their high school valedictorians, but I can, and I am thankful everyday I had that opportunity!

*This baby girl owned my heart from the minute they put her in my arms. This is my niece Katie, and when I look at her, at that exact moment everything is right in the world. She can turn any kind of day into a great one just holding her in your arms. There is something about the power this baby has over a family, she brightens every room she is in, always.

*The Carroll Family at our 2010 reunion this summer. My family, crazy, nutty, charming, sweet, fun, wild, strange, awesome! Love them all!

Well now you've had a tiny insight into my life and the people who make it worth living. They say never to take the people in your life for granted and I hope I never do because without them I would not be the girl I am today. They are my rocks and I know I can call them anytime for anything. 

"family means too much, friends are too valuable, and life is too short to put off sharing with people, how much they really mean to you, and pursuing whatever it is that makes you happy."