Keepin' Up With the Doerksens

Marlo Ginger Doerksen

2009-12-13T17:54:00.001-06:00

Marlo Ginger Doerksen!
Born Wednesday, December 2, 2009 at 8:15 am
7 lbs 15 oz
20 inches
And beautiful!

Cory & Elinor

2009-11-08T23:42:00.000-06:00

Remembered My Password!

2009-10-20T20:33:00.001-05:00

I have been trying to do a new post for a while but I couldn't remember my email and password combination until just now.

Check out the two cuties - Oliver and Elinor.

California

2009-02-02T16:11:00.003-06:00

A little trip to California to warm up a little and escape the really cold temperatures... Thanks Alvin & Charlene and Mom & Dad for having us over!

December 22

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November 29 - One Year Old!

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Two cupcakes later...

November 5, 2008

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Something to satisfy your appetite for cuteness :)

Part 7 - Churchill

2008-10-27T21:08:00.002-05:00

And that wraps up our two day adventure in Churchill! I highly recommend visiting there for anyone who never has!

Part 6 - Churchill

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Part 5 - Churchill

2008-10-27T09:57:00.000-05:00

Mama bear and her 22 month old cub.

Part 4 - Churchill

2008-10-26T23:21:00.002-05:00

Our second day in Churchill was spent on a Tundra Buggy seeing things we've never seen before. Of course, the main attraction is the polar bear. We were able to see several throughout the day. John lent me a lens for my camera that made my day. I would've never been able to get the pictures I got with my own equipment. Cory and I had a juggling act going on the whole day as well. We either had Elinor or a heavy camera to hold for the eight hours we spent on the Buggy. It was all worth it though. I've never experienced such barren, yet fascinating terrain and enjoyed shooting wildlife as much as I did that day.

Part 3 - Churchill

2008-10-26T19:30:00.006-05:00

The first day we spent with Lisa-Joy on a driving tour of the Churchill area. We took in sights such as Miss Piggy (plane crash in 1979), dog yards (so weird), the Ithica (a ship that was grounded in 1961 when it was damaged in a storm), the Prince of Wales fort across the Churchill River that was built in the early 1700s and some various prime establishments in town.

Part 2 - Churchill

2008-10-25T21:36:00.003-05:00

The view from the plane as we headed north. The day before we left I thumbed through a book on Churchill and learned that Churchill is on a peninsula.

Part 1 - Our Churchill Adventure

2008-10-25T21:03:00.006-05:00

This past week we spent a couple of days with John & Lisa-Joy Gunter and their son Mekhi in Churchill, MB. I'm still trying to wrap my head around how different things are up there! I took so many pictures I don't know how I'll only post a few, so here's a start to our Churchill adventure.

...and a BIG thanks to the Gunters for hosting us and enlarging our perspectives on our very own province!

I Crush Your Head!

2008-10-11T19:28:00.000-05:00

Elinor's "Tricks"

2008-10-03T23:51:00.000-05:00

Onsa Mennonitsche Me'jal

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See kaun schratlijch schmock senne!

The Hockey Stick

2008-09-25T07:01:00.000-05:00

Our American baby has discovered her roots!

Tim, Marissa & Baby Cohen

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2008-09-25T06:54:00.000-05:00

2008-09-24T21:34:00.000-05:00

?

2008-09-15T23:52:00.002-05:00

Is there a label for this expression? Because I don't know what to call it!

Sarah

2008-09-08T22:51:00.003-05:00

Wow...eyeballs generate a lot of interest and comments!

And now for something completely different!

My 19-year-old niece Sarah moved to Halifax recently.
And there are a lot of people missing her, praying for her, and loving her from afar.

Fall on the Farm

2008-09-02T10:44:00.002-05:00

...at the Heritage Museum in Steinbach. Cory's family puts on a hog butchering "show" where they cut up a hog, grind it up, make sausage, head cheese, ribs and other meat products we say in Low German but I'm unable to spell!

Bath

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Elinor's Faces

2008-08-26T13:23:00.001-05:00

Here

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My sister Glenda turned 40 this weekend and she hosted a fantastic party. It really is great to be in Winnipeg these days. We've celebrated a lot of events and milestones between our families and friends. Everyday Cory and I are reminded that this is not only a good thing, it is a God thing.

May we never take our families for granted...

Cohen & Elinor

2008-08-18T09:24:00.001-05:00

Cohen and his very kissy lips!

Elinor's new fake smile.

Three of My Favorite Things

2008-08-14T23:36:00.000-05:00

And coffee.

2008-08-14T23:26:00.001-05:00

My niece Sarah, Elinor and I checked out a graffiti gallery/youth outreach facility in Winnipeg when she visited in June/July.

Lily

2008-08-14T23:22:00.003-05:00

This is just a small part of my sister Glenda's garden. She's got some pretty spiffy plants.

Knights

2008-08-14T23:16:00.001-05:00

Our friends Marissa & Tim before and after the arrival of their boy Cohen.

Cory

2008-08-14T23:05:00.001-05:00

This picture is probably about 34 years old...

My Reimer Cousins

2008-08-12T13:43:00.002-05:00

Once a year we try to shoot for a "cousins our age" get-together. This year we met at Assisiniboine Park for a picnic and a walk on a very hot day that also warrented a Slurpee... Amen for 7Eleven! Here I am with my cousins, (well, except Galene, she's my sister.)

August 6, 2008

2008-08-06T15:44:00.000-05:00

I happen to think the sky is amazing...

Over the August long weekend, Cory, Elinor and I drove with Galene, Benji and their two kids Lauryn and Oliver to Drayton Valley, Alberta. On the drives there and back we saw a record number of rainbows and some of the most gorgeous sunsets. Got a little camera happy...

July 26, 2008

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Eek.

July 19, 2008

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Cute, eh?

July 15, 2008

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Time flies...

We've been in Winnipeg for three and a half months already...which means we've been gone from our home in Florida for three and a a half months. It's been a bittersweet experience. We love being in Winnipeg, but we really miss our friends and our church in Pensacola.

So to those of you in Florida, we miss you and can't wait to see you again. We'll let you know as soon as we hear any news about our paperwork. We know that God's timing is perfect.

July 4, 2008

2008-07-04T13:04:00.001-05:00

Sarah in Manitoba

2008-06-27T12:43:00.000-05:00

There's almost nothing better than getting a surprise visit from my 19-year-old niece Sarah, who flew in from London, Ontario last Sunday night. So far I've only got to hang out with her on Monday. We walked around Corydon and Osborne, had lunch at Stella's, ran a couple of errands and then walked back to Glenda & Brian's. Our feet hurt... Looking forward to seeing her again this weekend!

HMS Elinor

2008-06-25T07:00:00.000-05:00

Father's Day

2008-06-17T21:19:00.000-05:00

June 11, 2008

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Sweet Potato!

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Elinor's Uncle Phil

2008-05-21T22:49:00.001-05:00

Jumping Around the Forks

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Explore Manitoba at The Forks

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...funny how returning to your hometown after living "abroad" (if you can call Florida 'abroad') makes you a tourist. Here's a little of Dylan, Avery, Lauryn and Oliver having a good time.

May 20, 2008

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May 4th...14 Candles for Celine

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Manitoban Tourists

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Elinor & Oliver

2008-05-02T11:32:00.001-05:00

The Kids

2008-05-02T11:26:00.001-05:00

Bad Espresso

2008-05-02T11:19:00.000-05:00

The Olde Bakery in Ingersoll...

Sarah was experimenting her way down the specialty coffee menu and so we tried espresso...nearly make us puke.

April 24 - 28 in Ingersoll, Ontario

2008-05-02T11:04:00.000-05:00

Some more of our favorite people whom we love love LOVE...

Thank you Terry & Michelle for opening up your home to us and treating us to ice cream, Chinese food and lots of hospitality!

We learned that dogs make Elinor laugh. We learned that Sarah is fearless when it comes to changing hairstyles. We learned that Christopher would cut his hair from mucho dough. We learned that Michelle & Terry are fearless when it comes to renovating homes. We loved seeing all the kids again - Sarah, Christopher, Matt, Joshua and Tessa.

April 21, 2008

2008-04-22T00:03:00.000-05:00

This is a bit of a random post... Life has been pretty busy since arriving back in Manitoba - good busy. Elinor has been growing and changing - had her first taste of rice cereal and started standing with the help of furniture. It's sweet seeing her with her little cousins too. We've spent some time in Morden and Blumenort with our families whom we have missed A LOT while we were in Florida. It's neat to see how kids have grown and how things have changed here and there. It's also been interesting to re-navigate Winnipeg...it's funny how much you forget...lots of, "Oh yeah! Turn right here! I remember now!" Cory's sister Melissa also got married last Saturday but I'm not posting any pictures of that until the bride and groom see them first... This Thursday we're flying to London, Ontario and visiting more family in Ingersoll whom we haven't seen in WAY TOO LONG. We're especially looking forward to this and the next pictures up with likely be of that trip. That about sums up the past couple of weeks.

The Giesbrechts

2008-04-07T14:48:00.000-05:00

The Gunters

2008-03-04T05:21:00.000-06:00

From February 27th to March 2nd we had some pretty cool company. John, Lisa-Joy and their son Mekhi (who'll be 2 in June) came to visit. (Thank you NANPA...whatever it stands for...for having a trade show in Destin!) We were truly sorry to see them leave but we had some great times together.

We spend one day in Destin wandering Baytowne Wharf and shopping a little at the outlet mall. Unfortunately John couldn't spend his days with us because he was at the trade show representing Frontiers North, so it was mostly the moms, kids and Cory. Another day was spent almost entirely at Target with a lunch break in between. And yet another day wandering our yard and playing at Pensacola Beach. Looking back, it was a pretty idyllic few days. Stuff to do in the day, relaxed evenings at the house with either a fun drink or wine and good food.

To Team Gunter, we thoroughly enjoyed your company and it was great getting to know you more in a different place and circumstances. Thanks for opting out of your most-probably luxurious hotel room at the Sandestin! We loved having you!

February 20, 2008

2008-02-20T21:05:00.000-06:00

February 14, 2008

2008-02-14T17:43:00.001-06:00

Elvis' child?

February 13, 2008

2008-02-13T16:19:00.000-06:00

Grand Forks - Part 9

2008-02-12T12:25:00.002-06:00

Grand Forks - Part 8

2008-02-12T12:23:00.000-06:00

Grand Forks - Part 7

2008-02-12T12:16:00.000-06:00

Grand Forks - Part 6

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Grand Forks - Part 5

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Grand Forks - Part 4

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Grand Forks - Part 3

2008-02-11T06:34:00.000-06:00

Notice any similarities?

Grand Forks - Part 2

2008-02-11T06:30:00.000-06:00

Grand Forks - Part 1

2008-02-10T20:59:00.000-06:00

Because of our visa situation, we're not able to re-enter the US once we leave, so instead of flying into Winnipeg to introduce Elinor to the Hoeppner side, Elinor and I (Tash) flew into Grand Forks for the weekend of January 31 - February 5. Here are just SOME (I think I shot about 600 pictures, but only like 300 and only really, really like 150) of the pictures I took.

January 28, 2008

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January 25, 2008

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The view from Mom & Dad Doerksen's 9th floor condo in Navarre Beach. They didn't get to see a lot of warm, sunny days in Florida in January, so this dreary (but pretty) was a common sight.

Elinor's latest trick - getting her head up.

Coffee with Ginger at The Drowsy Poet. This is my once-a-week coffee fix. Lately I've been staying off caffeine because Elinor gets wonky, so I'm learning about the world of decaf.

PS - Happy Birthday Tim!

January 18, 2008

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January 17, 2008

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January 13, 2007

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Yesterday (Saturday) we spent the afternoon in the French Quarter, New Orleans. Dale & Jeannie Peercy (friends of ours we met while doing MDS in Texas who also recruited us to Pensacola and then deserted us!) drove down from Ohio to Louisiana for their work with Lutheran Disaster Response. So, they called us up to see if we could meet and we were happy to drive to NO to meet up with them. The night before, we spent the evening with Mom & Dad Doerksen in their Navarre Beach condo (a little spaghetti, a little wine...) and than we all left in the morning. First stop: gas. Second stop: Whataburger for taquitos (which are yummy Charlene & Alvin!) and Starbucks for coffee before we headed out on our "tri-state adventure" - from Florida to Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana.

We ate lunch at Acme Oyster House, walked around a bit and stopped for cafe au laits and beinets at Cafe du Monde, my main reason I go to the French Quarter.

Grandpa and Elinor.

Hey Marissa - notice the little outfit (onesie and jeans)? They fit!

Mom sitting along the Mississippi River.

(And how on earth did I post doubles?? Why does blogger do weird things?)

January 13, 2008

2008-01-13T10:51:00.000-06:00

Pigtails...I couldn't resist!

January 11, 2008

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December 26 - January 4

2008-01-06T11:57:00.001-06:00

Waffles were another highlight of this Christmas. All the kids pitched in to get Mom & Dad a super duper waffle maker. And the waffles were really super duper.

Aidan and Gabrielle

Jacqueline and Celine

Charlene and Alvin give Whataburger and big thumbs down. In 'n Out Burger still rules.

December 24 - 26, 2007

2008-01-06T11:42:00.000-06:00

Melissa, Gabrielle and Elinor. Gabrielle was obsessed with kissing Elinor.

Gabrielle's adorable smile.

Aidan on the Kubota. He and Gabe got to scoot around our place before we packed up the vehicles to go to Destin.

Notice the mittens? Unfortunately, the weather wasn't the nicest while our family was here. Pensacola even got snow.

Celine, Jonas, Felix and Aidan on Miramar Beach in front of Pompano Joe's where we ate seafood a couple of times.

This Christmas the entire Doerksen clan drove/flew down to spend 10 days in Destin. Cory's dad rented a 3-storey vacation home in Emerald Shores and we spent the entire time eating, sleeping, watching TV and movies (actually, "movie" (Hairspray) over and over and over...love that movie!). Emerald Shores also had a heated outdoor pool we were able to enjoy.

December 22, 2007

2007-12-22T13:12:00.001-06:00

Today is the first Christmas with our little "Elf in Training". (Thanks again Marissa for the totally cute sleeper! When she stretches out, the sleeper almost looks small. Amazing how she grows...)

December 19, 2007

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Little Miss Elinor

(It's a little difficult getting a sitting up shot of a bobbly 3-week-old! She kept tilting to the right...)

December 14, 2007

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More of Elinor.

I finally got to do my "seashell" Christmas tree. Who can live in Florida and not hang seashells on their tree? It's a little sparse but it was free, cut down off the land by my personal lumberjack, Cory.

December 11, 2007

2007-12-11T15:38:00.000-06:00

I forgot to mention that Marissa was able to be a part of the big event. She flew in November 28th, just hours after I was scheduled to be induced at 1 am that night. She spent that whole night and the following day at the hospital with Cory and me...just waiting. When I was finally close to delivering (according to my nurse, 9.5 cm) Marissa was actually out shopping (don't blame her...I would've been at Target too to pass the time!) nearby and had to make a dash back to the hospital with not too many minutes to spare.

Anyway, Cory and I LOVED having Marissa here. She may not feel like she had done enough, but her just coming down here to be with us was HUGE. So...thank you Marissa! We love you.

(...and I don't know how I'm underlining stuff or why the top part is blue...not trying to add emphasis or anything. Grrrrr. Why is it doing this??)

One of the cutest faces she makes...

December 10, 2007

2007-12-10T09:22:00.000-06:00

It's been 11 days and Cory and I have made the decision to keep her. I still can't believe that after nine months of being pregnant, Elinor is here...finally. I'm now enjoying my stay-at-home-mom status. We're all a bit tired but we're doing just fine. Cory's back at work, but has been coming home early which has been a real treat for me (going to keep him too!).

Last night was Elinor's first trip to church and she kind of stole the show, which was fun...watching her get all the attention. She far outweighs the attention my pregnant belly got. It's funny...now that I'm not pregnant I feel like I lost the identity that was taking nine months to achieve.

This Wednesday is Elinor's two-week appointment at the pediatrician's. We'll see if she's grown since her 7 lb 6.4 oz and 21 inches at birth.

Thank you everyone for your prayers, comments, compliments and words of encouragement!

Elinor Sarah Doerksen

2007-11-30T16:04:00.000-06:00

Elinor Sarah Doerksen
7 lb - 6 ounces
November 29 3:50 PM.

Overdue

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November 19

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39 Weeks...I think we're ready...I think.

My calendar at work. Only 2.8 more days at Rebuild!

November 3

2007-11-05T09:58:00.000-06:00

This cat has no shame...

Another baby shower! It's actually pretty weird in a not-right sort of way that no one from my family or friends from home are at my baby showers but I guess that's the way things go... Fortunately, we have a great church family - and they really spoiled me. First the shower at Kate's at the beach and now this one... I wish I had another one next weekend!

A most delicious cake... Wish I had the recipe for that icing. It was perfect.

Ashley Barham - This is my 13-year-old friend who "attacks" my belly like it's fly paper wanting to feel the baby move. It's hilarious.

One of the shower games was a little Play-Do competition to see who could make the best baby. It was my choice to pick the top two winners.

Debbie, me and Teresa (from L to R) posing for an extremely nerdy shot of me cutting the cake. What an honor.

Week 36

2007-10-29T13:58:00.000-05:00

Cupcakes....Mmmmmm.

See the sad cat? Hyde has either been laying on this side of the buffet or the other side of it. He's totally despondant, lethargic and unenergetic right now and we think he's sick. What do we do? I'm not a fan of expensive vet bills either.

This is me at 36 weeks. Only 4 (give or take) to go.

We spent a few minutes at Navarre Beach on Sunday afternoon, so that's what's with the beach scenes.

October 26 - Montgomery, AL

2007-10-29T13:40:00.000-05:00

We're learning that some of our friends can be very spontaneous! Which is a very, very, very good thing for often homesick Manitobans... About a week before the 26th, Loretta emailed to see if we could meet up, since her and Henry were going to be in "the area" - which basically meant the southeast portion of the States. Since their flight back to Winnipeg was out of Atlanta, we met halfway between Atlanta and Pensacola in Montgomery, Alabama to spend the day with them.

The problem was, what the heck do you do in Montgomery? Even people we asked who lived there or knew people who lived there didn't have any suggestions, so thanks to Google, we found a few things. To eat, we had lunch at Moe's Southwest Grill and supper at The Bonefish Grill (both excellent chain restaurants if you feel you need to play it safe). And between food, we spent three hours walking around Fort Tulouse/Fort Jackson, which is a historic site just north of Montgomery...beautiful. The day was beautiful, the trees were beautiful, the company was great and we even got to see an armadillo scurry across our path. Cory scurried after it, but that didn't amount to much.

Us.

Some hut with bamboo floors.

Henry and Loretta.

Bad hair day.

Loretta & Henry walking towards the river.

October 20 - Baby Shower

2007-10-23T08:28:00.000-05:00

My first ever baby shower... For starters, the weather was fantastic for a baby shower on the beach. It has literally been raining everyday for a week and a half, but the Saturday of the shower not a cloud was in the sky. And now it's raining again. Kate, Ginger and Teel planned such a fun shower. Lots of yummy food, great turn-out, fun games... Who knew an opossum was only pregnant 8 days? Not me obviously, since my answer for the gestation period of humans was 365 days!

From L-R...Teel, Whitney, Kate, Ginger and in front are Jill and her son Tegan.

I think the award for Coolest Gift Bag goes to Jill (the black & white baby's bum).

Here's my party girl Teel.

...and finally, one attempt at Pin the Diaper on the Baby.

Warm Fuzzies

2007-10-23T08:27:00.000-05:00

Who doesn't love a big cuddly cat?

32 Weeks

2007-10-02T12:47:00.000-05:00

My "blossoming" figure, I guess you could say... I have two months of enlargement to go before I pop!

New Post!

2007-09-28T08:30:00.000-05:00

For those of you who regularly check our blog, I apoligize for not posting new stuff. So here's an update to redeem myself. It was hard to find pictures that were even blog-worthy. Not sure if these actually qualify... For those of you who are curious about me (Tash), the bump is growing nicely and coming up on 32 weeks. As for details, you'll have to content yourself in knowing that I'm now experiencing lovely purple spider veins, a heavy belly and subsequent lower back pain and an occasional shoot of sciatica down my legs. I've also been told by two separate people that I'm waddling...

Have you ever wondered why your pool is murky? We did. After being spoiled for nearly two years with free pool service, we (actually Cory) were forced to take on the job ourselves. This past summer was his first attempt at maintaining the pool. Our biggest question was: How did the pool lady get the water so clear? We missed seeing the drain at the bottom of the 7 ft deep end...sigh. All through summer we endured (please, no pity) a murky, sort-of-clear yet very swimmable pool. Still, we longed to see the drain. Then one day Cory and a guy from Home Depot figured out a solution involving some pipe and a garden hose. With new knowledge on hand, Cory put it to use and voila! Pool is now clear. Oh the things that shot up when he backwashed the drain! Among the dirty fountain of backwashed water, came a pair of nose plugs and a diving stick. Ah, victory...

Our lamp wilted. You'd think a $5 lamp from Target would last at least a couple of years.

Cory and I spent the Saturday before our 7th anniversary (Sunday) in Destin to celebrate. Cory found a hole-in-the-wall fish shack on the water called Dewey Destin's and we filled our tummies with grilled mahi mahi sandwiches. The weather was sunny, then rainy and stormy throughout the day and made for some more great cloud pictures. We got lucky during lunch because the weather chose not to be rainy for that hour so we were able to sit out on the dock while we ate.

Leaving Los Angeles

2007-09-04T09:23:00.000-05:00

2007-09-04T09:16:00.000-05:00

LA Philharmonic performing pieces of Tchaikovsky at the Hollywood Bowl.

Overlooking Palos Verdes.

Santa Monica Pier above and at sunset (below).

Downtown Los Angeles

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Above is the view from the roof of the LA Dream Center, which Cory and I toured while we were there.

Below is our evening at a Dodgers game. They won.

San Diego & Coronado Island

2007-09-04T08:54:00.000-05:00

The week of August 25 - September 2 flew by... We spent a week with Charlene & Alvin in Redondo Beach, CA. Jacqueline & Gerald also flew down from friendly Manitoba to spend the week. The first thing we did was drive down to San Diego and Coronado Island.

...at the beach at the Hotel del Coronado.

What I Have to Look Forward to

2007-08-22T16:17:00.000-05:00

My niece, Avery when she was wee little. She'll be turning four in November! Last time I saw her she was still wee little. Kids in bathroom sinks are the cutest thing!

I Love My Husband

2007-08-09T09:59:00.001-05:00

My Weekend Project

2007-08-08T09:51:00.000-05:00

Thought we could use this old clunky dresser that was sitting in our laundry room for some baby furniture (dresser, book shelf, change table...). Pretty cute, eh?