Happy New Year and Oh My It Is 2010!!!!

Well folks, as we ring in a new year, Richard and I are so thankful for wonderful family, good friends, enchanting pets, and a lifestyle that is both comfortable and relaxing.  When I remember the turn of the last decade from 1999 to 2000 all I can think of is the craziness around Y2K and how that decade ended sadly with the loss of my Father.  For us, 2009 brought a new baby to the family in little Madison Christina. She joins her sisters Payton and Brooklyn (all children of the last decade)!  The last decade brought great jobs and then retirement for both Richard and I, as well as two Airstreams and a boat (:-)); it brought Louise back to Ottawa from British Columbia to study and she rekindled her passion with Yoga and horses, making it her life's work, and she also bought her own Airstream...good stuff!  The past decade also saw Lisa finishing her university degree, beginning a great career, getting married, having children and moving into her dream home. 

Our family lost a wonderful young woman in the past decade to cancer.  Johanne was my nephew Scott's wife, and mother to two wonderful little girls, Leah and Sarah. She has been sadly missed by all who knew her.  Things somehow have a way of working out and Scott found new love and married Patty, my new niece.  Scott's sister Christine finished her Nurse Practitioner's education and now we can all hope for great care (should we need it!) The amazing thing is that she did it while adding to her family of 4 children! My nephew Paul married his Victoria in a beautiful wedding in Niagara on the Lake so the new niece count went up. :-) Welcome to the family to both Patty and Victoria.  This past year my nephew Nathan proposed to his girlfriend Carrie (a childhood friend of my daughter Lisa) and so we are sure to see more weddings and children this next decade!  The last decade saw Rachel, my niece in Ottawa, completing her degree and landing a great job. Deanna, my niece from Guelph, branched out to a new job and bought her first home - a major life event.

A decade like that is hard to follow but we are sure hopeful for lots of fun, some hard work (we have a project or two ahead of us) and good times as the year progresses!