Halloween

Today was a pretty long day for my older daycare kids! They could not wait for their parents to get their for pick up so they could get our trick or treating! They had a pretty nice night here, was on the chilly side, but no rain or no snow which was good.

We had between 60 - 70 trick or treaters come to the door. There was some really cute costumes, some parents are really creative! Gary and I had to leave about 7 to go bowling but Crystal was home to hand out the candy. Gary and I dressed up for bowling, he was a pirate and I was a pirate maiden. I had a picture of us and will upload it in a bit. There were some good costumes there as well.

I phoned Ryan to wish them a happy halloween. Also to tell him that I haven't gotten in the whole having a little boy to buy things for at these special times. I felt really bad about it. I will get something and send it off to Rawley. And from now on will have to remember that Rawley is just like a grandson, so I better get on the ball!!

Stock taking

Where has the month of October gone?!? Gary has been working mega overtime getting ready for stocktake. He goes in at 7 am and hasn't been getting home before at least 8 pm every night, and then going in for 4 or more hours a day on the weekend. He has opted to take some days off and then get paid out for the rest. He is asking for a week just incase I might need a ride to a gtg this spring *S* Isn't he a great guy*S* I went in one evening last week and then started Tuesday this week going in till about 9 pm. Tonight I will go right after daycare and we will be there till 11 pm and then back at 8 am and stay till we are finished. We are usually done about supper time. Things are going pretty well so we might even get out of there a bit earlier this year. I keep adding up my hours and figuring out what my cheque will be and thinking what kinds of yarn I can buy with it when we get together *S*

I haven't had a whole lot of hours in the day to knit but have been plugging away at a WW. It is getting there, just slowly. I will probably cast on the one for Rawley next as I will have to have it done so it can go in the mail for Christmas. Will certainly seem strange and will be sad not having Ryan her for Christmas, but I guess as they grow up, and spread their wings you have to learn to let go. Trying to think of what we might do for Christmas this year but so far haven't made any concrete plans. We usually go to my dad's and then my brother, sister in law, and nephews come in for the day. I would like to do something a bit different this year though, my brother always has Christmas Eve with his wife's family and they have their HUGE meal late that night and then sit up partying till the wee hours. Then one member of the family always has them up before the crack of dawn and they spend the morning and afternoon openning gifts, eating etc and then they show up at my Dad's all tired and grumpy! LOL!!! I know Gary would really like to just stay at home this year, invite my dad to come down either Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. Nora would be more than welcome to come too and my brother could come too if they wanted too. It would be SO MUCH easier for me to to make the meal in my own home where I have well stocked cupboards instead of at my Dad's. Time will tell what we end up doing I guess.

October 20

I meant to put this in the last message but hit publish and realized I forgot it.

Apparently October 20th was Ryan & Tammy's first anniversary of when they started going out. I talked to Ryan the night before and that is when he told me that that is when they started dating. I asked him what they were doing to celebrate and he said going out for supper. Then he mentioned something about his gift, so of course I had to ask what she was getting. Apparently he bought her a ring, not an engagement ring, more like a promise ring. He said that it has a small diamond and a little heart on it. Sounds very pretty! I talked to him today and he said that Tammy was surprised by it and that she really liked it. She got him a keepsake box, with their picture on the top of it, for him to keep things from when the do things together.(stubs from hockey games etc) It sounds very nice! There was something else and I can't remember what it was that he told me.

They got the place they wanted

Ryan & Tammy finally heard that they got the suite they really wanted. They are both so happy! I guess the people that own the house are about their ages and he transferred to Nanaimo for his work, so they are both sort of in the same boat. New to the city and really don't know anyone there so they said to Ryan and Tammy that they maybe could go out for supper the odd time for something like that. So it sounds like it really should be a good arrangement. They can move things in whenever they want as there is no one in the suite now. I will have to get talking to Tammy and ask her if she could please send me pictures. If I ask Ryan who knows when I might get them. They have set it up that some of the guys from the theater are going to come and help them move, at least their big & heavy stuff, so that Tammy doesn't have to do that.

The two of them are definetly coming home in January. Their tickets are booked and I am so looking forward to it. Rawley won't be coming with them, and Tammy is feeling rather guilty leaving him that long, but I think she will be more than ready for a real nice break and just be able to kick back and relax. I am so glad that we didn't book their tickets back in the summer when we were out there. We checked times and prices etc when we were there but didn't book anything and the prices have really gone down by at least $300.

Crystal has been busy studying and reviewing as she will be writing mid terms next week. She really seems to be enjoying her classes and is doing quite well. She is noticing that her paycheques aren't as high as there were over the summer, but she doesn't really have that many expenses so she is doing okay.

Today there was no school so I had everyone all day long. Was a busy busy day that is for sure. Busy and noisy. They did some Halloween crafts this afternoon and then, even though it wasn't all that warm outside we went out to burn off some energy.

I have been working on daycare socks when I get the chance to knit. Stock take at dh's work has started so I have been putting in a few hours there this week and will every night except Monday next week. I am sure I will be tired! At least Tues, Wed we should be able to quit about 8, Thurs will probably be a bit later and then Friday is a late night and Saturday is an early morning. Hopefully it all works out and we don't have to go in on Sunday. Dh will be going in tomorrow and probably Sunday too for a few hours. I is sort of maddening that he seems to be the only one who is really putting in any time doing this, the rest all have 100 excuses as to why they can't stay. Oh well, I guess when he takes a week off in the spring and gets his overtime pay they will wish they had worked a few more hours.

Ryan & Tammy

Yesterday morning I was surprised to get a text message from Ryan at 8:30 my time, that is 6:30 his time. Now this is from a kid who loves mornings as much as his mom does! LOL Throughout our texting I found out that Tammy & him were on the ferry heading over to the island to once again look for apartments. The ferry was packed full of people going over to the island to picket in support of the teachers who are on strike and there was a problem with the ferry so the trip was slow.

Last night just before I was leaving for bowling Ryan phoned and I could tell as soon as he said hello that he had good news. They had gone over to look at 4 places that they had appointments for and then also to check out the paper and see if they could see anymore. Out of the 4 the looked at, 1 the said no to right away. They looked at another and thought that they would take it if nothing else turned up, but they probably would end up not staying there all that long, and then they saw one that they REALLY liked and another one that the liked. The one they REALLY liked, they will find out today hopefully if they got it or not. There was them and another couple looking at it. And the one that the liked they have left a post dated cheque with the person for it, but the person also knows that if the guy for the other one phones and says that they can have the one they REALLY like that is the one they are going with and the lady was fine with that. So the FINALLY have a place to live. I could just hear the lack of stress and worry in Ryan's voice on the phone and I could hear Tammy talking in the background to someone from the theater and you could hear the excitement in her voice. Now she just has to get a job and they can start settling in.

As long as what Ryan's boss in Abbotsford has told him exactly how things will work Ryan will probably have the choice of staying in Nanaimo and eventually being the #1 man there running the theater or once he is fully trained he could apply for a transfer. It sort of sounds like, as long as he is happy at this theater that they might just end up settling there.

I really have to say that in this last year Ryan has really done a lot of maturing and growing up. I think that Tammy has been very good for him, as has Rawley too! He is learning what it means to be responsible for more than just himself which is a good thing. The one thing that made me very happy when we were out there visiting is the way the two of them just look together. They just both look like they are so happy!*S*

Little of this and a little of that

Last week we had some rather nice fall type weather. The type of weather where you need your jacket for sure in the mornings and can get away with a sweatshirt in the afternoons. They are saying that this week should be fairly nice temp wise, but we are expecting some rain. Yesterday Gary went out and lawnmowed the grass, sucked up all the leaves that have falled and racked the berries from the front yard. It looks so much better now. The deer still come up nightly and eat up some of the fallen berries and also take some off the tree. I watched a young buck and two little ones last night for a little bit. They are such pretty animals.

I have now finished up Jordyn's & Dayne's socks and have one of Justins done. This weekend Christmas knitting took a back burner as I worked on a blanket for Dayne from dishcloth cotton. Someone, a grandma I think, made these blankets for Jordyn and Dayne and they are started to show their wear so I was making him a new one. I measured it against his old one this morning and have to do about 5 more rows and then it will be done. Also got an 'order' from Ryan for some dishcloths. They want them to put into one of Tammy's friends Xmas present. It is the friend they are living with right now and they figure she doesn't have enough *S* So I will get those done up too and have them ready to mail off to them. They want the ones that are crocheted and have the loop on them to hang off the faucet.

This has been a really different week to say the least. I guess because I am a person who believes in honesty and being honest that I just assume that that is how everyone is, but I have learnt that that isn't always the case. I have to say that it has really hurt me as well as some others to have learnt that there have been quite a few untruths being told to other about good friends of mine and probably about me as well. As I sat and thought about it I really had to question, just what does a person get from embellish stories, making up 'facts' and just spreading really hurtful things. I find it really sad that there are people like that out there, and I also find it sad that other's might get taken in by them. How they just go ahead and believe the stories even if it doesn't really sound like the person's character at all. Oh well, one thing I have learnt from this whole experience is just who my real true friends are. It will take me awhile to make up my mind about some others though! I do understand that the written word can be misunderstood sometimes, but I think this went way over that line and was downright malicious.

Thanksgiving Weekend

This year it was just the three of us for Thanksgiving, so instead of turkey I did cornish game hens. They turned out very well. We also had stuffing, mashed potatoes & gravy, turnips, corn, pineapple fluff salad and tossed salad, and of course pumpkin pie and whip cream. My dad was with Nora and her family, and my brother just got home from moose hunting so he wouldn't of been worth being around.
We had our big meal on Sunday since Gary and I had to still bowl Monday night and that is no fun when you are stuffed.

Monday Ryan phoned to ask what he needed to do to a turkey once it was in the oven and how long would it take to cook. I guess the decided that they were having a tradition TGing dinner and he was elected to cook the turkey. I text messaged him today and asked if everyone had survived and he said as far as he knew.

Ryan has been having quite a time with him ATM card. First the machine ate his card while he was trying to deposit an expense cheque. He was able to get his card back from that CU, cashed his cheque at the theater so they could go to Nanaimo to apartment hunt. When he got back home he went to try to deposit the cash to his account and it wouldn't work. The machine ended up eating his card again. He went in and got it back, and told the teller that he was having trouble trying to deposit money to his account. The teller tried to figure out what the trouble was, and finally another teller stepped in and reminded the first teller that if your account is out of province you can no longer deposit money! Once they get settled in Nanaimo they are going to open an account there, so that should help with that problem.

On the apartment front, they still don't have one. They have put their name in at a few of them and are waiting to hear back.

I have been knitting away on one project that doesn't seem to be growing very fast. I have finished Justin's WW and Jordyn's socks so the list is getting smaller for Christmas.

This is a wrap that I made from Creative Knitting - called Catch a wave 

Our winter weather - October 5th 

Very Nice Weekend

This past weekend we went to Winnipeg to celebrate Gary's birthday and our anniversary. It was a very nice weekend. We had booked our room earlier, and when we got to the hotel the person at the desk mentioned to Gary that housekeeping was running a little bit behind so they might just be finishing up our room. No problem. We took our luggage up and waited for them to come to the room and finish up, and waited and waited. Hhhmmmm Gary went into the hall and asked on of the ladies if they would be finishing our room soon. She looked at him as if she had no idea what he said. So finally we said that we would just go and do what shopping we wanted to do before going for supper. When we got downstairs Gary mentioned to the guy and the desk that our room wasn't finished yet. I think the guy misunderstood Gary and thought he was asking if our room was finished. He goes and checks his computer and said, oh yes your room is all done now. Gary told him if that was done then we certainly didn't want it, and explained that the beds had been made but nothing else was done, dirty glasses and coffee cups around, the bathroom hadn't been cleaned etc. The guy started apologizing and apologizing and said he would be right around. He comes around the counter and takes us upstairs to a different room and as he openned the door he said, this is totally unacceptable and I sincerely apologize but if you like this room I will upgrade you free of charge. So we got a BEAUTIFUL King Size Suite, two rooms; a little sitting room with a couch and two easy chairs, a lovely sized bedroom with a kingsize bed! We said that yes we liked the room! When I saw it I was thinking, now this room would be great for a little knitting get away.... lots of comfy sitting space, only thing was the light wasn't the best! So once we were settled in our room we went to the mall and shopped and then to Red Lobster for supper. We both LOVE Red Lobster and we don't have one here so it is always a treat for us.

Sunday we had a lazy start to the day, then went out for brunch, did a bit more shopping and then headed home. A very nice and relaxing weekend for sure.

While we were shopping I got a text message on my phone from Ryan asking me to give him a call when I had a chance. I messaged him back and told him that we were in Winnipeg so I could either call then or when I got home. He said to call when I got home. When I called him and asked what was up he hummed and hawed and then said, "The ATM machine ate my card!" These things only happen to Ryan LOL! I asked him how it happened and it seems that he had an expense cheque that he wanted to deposit. He went in and put his card in and realized that he left his cheque in the car, so ran out to the car quick, and of course when the door closed it locked, so he had to go to Tim Horton's where Tammy was, get her card, open the door and of course by now the machine had figured the card had been there long enough that someone forgot it so it ate it! Gary talked to the CU here and they said to have Ryan phone them this morning as soon as the openned to tell them what happened and they might just hold it for him. The girl here also said that when they saw it and saw that it was an out of province card that they might just shred it too thinking it had been stollen. Thankfully he phoned and told them what happened and he can go in tomorrow and get his card back!

On the knitting front, I have finished my Catch a Wave wrap and even got a chance to wear it already. The day we went to Dave's funeral it was nippy in the air and it was just right! I will get a pic of it and get it posted here. I am still working on the project that I frogged and have now knit up all that I frogged plus a bit more so that feels good. I also cast on another wallaby and have it almost up the where you rib for the neck! The weather we are having certainly makes one think that it is time to get those needles going. Today the high was about 8C and the low tonight is suppose to be -2C...bbbbrrrrrrrrr