Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Tony just sent me this information
Funeral will be at the Bergthaler Mennonite Church 117 second street NW at 2 o clock on Friday. We made a last minute announcement to the free press which will go in Thursday and Friday.
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Hi how are you
Just a post to let everyone know that that Bonnie's mom died this weekend. The funeral will be in Altona at 2:00PM on Friday. Tony didn't tell me which church....if you are going..just ask around town and they will know. I didn't want to stress him out anymore with the details.
Hope to see you all at the wedding this weekend.
Joan
Hope to see you all at the wedding this weekend.
Joan
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Yes...him again
Back in the ER....he might be released tonight.
I have no words....I'm so tired of this. And Joan must be crazy by now...............
I have no words....I'm so tired of this. And Joan must be crazy by now...............
Sunday, June 19, 2011
Friday, June 10, 2011
Garry is home!!
He came home on Wednesday. I haven't talked to him yet but I am sure he darn glad to be home. I will give him a few days to get settled.
Saturday, June 4, 2011
Garry is going home ... for the night
He is out on night passes only. 6:30 PM to 8:30 AM ....... and to say the least he is not happy about this. He just wants to go home forever. However he does not seem to realize he has issues. Big issues. Which have to be addressed on a day to day basis.
I don't know if he oblivious to all his problems..or trying to get by them one day at a time. It's tough.
Thanks Tim and Darlene for coming to see him today. He was tired after going home for the night ...and probably a little ummm ticked off still being there. He just had his first shower last night after 30 days !!! I am sure Joan hosed him down.!!!
Joan
PS: A few of you have asked me in emails etc. about how our new house is coming along. I will post the New House blogsite for you to check out.
http://heywhatdoyouwantfornothing.blogspot.com/
Have a good weekend.
I don't know if he oblivious to all his problems..or trying to get by them one day at a time. It's tough.
Thanks Tim and Darlene for coming to see him today. He was tired after going home for the night ...and probably a little ummm ticked off still being there. He just had his first shower last night after 30 days !!! I am sure Joan hosed him down.!!!
Joan
PS: A few of you have asked me in emails etc. about how our new house is coming along. I will post the New House blogsite for you to check out.
http://heywhatdoyouwantfornothing.blogspot.com/
Have a good weekend.
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
Good News
Garry should be released from prison in a day of two. Apparently he will be getting parole with time off for good behaviour....Now we all know that is a lie....If you visited him..... but the warden is getting jest a little tired of that rascal.
The two Joan's took him for a wheelchair ride this afternoon. No...we did not try to ditch him in a hallway we actually took him to the 2nd. floor to the cafeteria for coffee. I had a whole pile of stuff in my IPAD I had downloaded for his enjoyment. So the plan was to go and sit at the table .. have a coffee and see all the magic I had for him. Not more then10 minutes later...he had to pee...well Joan #1 took him for #1.
After that I showed him all the stuff I had downloaded...as we were sitting there and having coffee. He sat there and abused my beloved IPAD by punching very hard on her touch screen...and laughing. I took IPAD away, because he has no respect for technology. Then he had to make a #2. And we had to go back up to his room. It must of been the cookies I brought. Anyway....he is back to his old self. He has a few lapses in memory because this has been a real ordeal. Joan has told him about the baby Noah dying.. We talked about that at some length today...and I think he understands what happened.
So...he is over the hill about the Jets coming back to Winnipeg.....and let's see where we go from here.
I thank all of you for your support. It has meant to much to me, Joan and the kids.
He was very adamant about getting out before Lisa's social ... and I think he will be there.
I have changed some settings for comments so if you want to make one it should be easy.
Joan
The two Joan's took him for a wheelchair ride this afternoon. No...we did not try to ditch him in a hallway we actually took him to the 2nd. floor to the cafeteria for coffee. I had a whole pile of stuff in my IPAD I had downloaded for his enjoyment. So the plan was to go and sit at the table .. have a coffee and see all the magic I had for him. Not more then10 minutes later...he had to pee...well Joan #1 took him for #1.
After that I showed him all the stuff I had downloaded...as we were sitting there and having coffee. He sat there and abused my beloved IPAD by punching very hard on her touch screen...and laughing. I took IPAD away, because he has no respect for technology. Then he had to make a #2. And we had to go back up to his room. It must of been the cookies I brought. Anyway....he is back to his old self. He has a few lapses in memory because this has been a real ordeal. Joan has told him about the baby Noah dying.. We talked about that at some length today...and I think he understands what happened.
So...he is over the hill about the Jets coming back to Winnipeg.....and let's see where we go from here.
I thank all of you for your support. It has meant to much to me, Joan and the kids.
He was very adamant about getting out before Lisa's social ... and I think he will be there.
I have changed some settings for comments so if you want to make one it should be easy.
Joan
Sunday, May 29, 2011
Schmergie ...as my dad called him
Is doing very well. He is bored. He still will have to get his sea legs back before he can be released and a few other things. I would predict a few more weeks...he predicts tomorrow. I just wish I could figure out something to keep him entertained. He has the TV and books etc. but the days are long especially when you are feeling better. Maybe I should teach him to crochet? or not LOL...
We entertained ourselves today looking at his belly...it's gone. This is a hell of a way to loose weight, but he sure has. He is almost back on solids now and his cough is gone. He still has that stupid infection thing that is running rampid throughout the hospital on his ass. Looks like a rash or something. We all have to gown up and rubberglove it before going into any ward.
He doesn't have much use for the guy beside him...which is too bad because the last time he had a really good roomie. That alone makes for a better day when you have a buddy ...but according to Garry all this guy does is jerk off all day ....I almost fell off my hospital chair when he told me that. Laughing. I don't know but I think they should keep the curtains closed because perhaps Garry is turning this freak on by yelling at him to quit it......It's like prison you get the roomie they provide. Today they had a tent over this guys lower half....I'm not to sure what he was doing under there...nor did I want to know.
When Gord was in the hospital for his gall stones he had a roomie, a man that probably had been in a war..and he swore uncontrollably....it was so filthy you can't believe it. He never did it when he was awake..only when he went to sleep. He was a perfect English Gentleman when he was awake. Gord was ready to kill him ...so I know how having a roomate who is a little warped affects the guy beside you.
You see it all when you go in the hospital. Even for me. I see all the sadness, I hear people's conversations about their loved one's on the elevator or in the halls. The best part is when I see a patient released with family members waiting for a cab in front of the HSC..that makes me happy.
Hopefully he will get his sea legs back and they will move him to a room with a bathroom so he can start walking to it himself. But for now he is still not strong enough ...but I'm sure next week will be another turning point. One week at a time.
So ... if you are in the area....feel free to drop in.
Joan
We entertained ourselves today looking at his belly...it's gone. This is a hell of a way to loose weight, but he sure has. He is almost back on solids now and his cough is gone. He still has that stupid infection thing that is running rampid throughout the hospital on his ass. Looks like a rash or something. We all have to gown up and rubberglove it before going into any ward.
He doesn't have much use for the guy beside him...which is too bad because the last time he had a really good roomie. That alone makes for a better day when you have a buddy ...but according to Garry all this guy does is jerk off all day ....I almost fell off my hospital chair when he told me that. Laughing. I don't know but I think they should keep the curtains closed because perhaps Garry is turning this freak on by yelling at him to quit it......It's like prison you get the roomie they provide. Today they had a tent over this guys lower half....I'm not to sure what he was doing under there...nor did I want to know.
When Gord was in the hospital for his gall stones he had a roomie, a man that probably had been in a war..and he swore uncontrollably....it was so filthy you can't believe it. He never did it when he was awake..only when he went to sleep. He was a perfect English Gentleman when he was awake. Gord was ready to kill him ...so I know how having a roomate who is a little warped affects the guy beside you.
You see it all when you go in the hospital. Even for me. I see all the sadness, I hear people's conversations about their loved one's on the elevator or in the halls. The best part is when I see a patient released with family members waiting for a cab in front of the HSC..that makes me happy.
Hopefully he will get his sea legs back and they will move him to a room with a bathroom so he can start walking to it himself. But for now he is still not strong enough ...but I'm sure next week will be another turning point. One week at a time.
So ... if you are in the area....feel free to drop in.
Joan
Monday, May 23, 2011
Garry ...again
He has finally been moved out of the ICU back into "general population" of the HSC hospital prison system.
He is awake and ready to roll.
He is not in a good mood. He needs someone to "break him out." Today he was ready to get out of bed and give him a ride home. He is not a good patient.
But he doesn't realize where he has been and what he has been through. AGAIN. We will have to go through that entire process. But he is coming out off the haze ... and is very depressed. He wanted me to drive him home from the hospital today....and when I said I couldn't he was very mad at me. It broke my heart when he wouldn't kiss me goodbye....but when I told him I loved him as I was leaving....he told me he loved me too. He sounded so resigned...et to brutus.....you failed me too.
So....if you folks have nothing to do ....go on and try to get his spirits up...I certainly can't. But I won't stop trying. Nor will our family.
Joan
He is awake and ready to roll.
He is not in a good mood. He needs someone to "break him out." Today he was ready to get out of bed and give him a ride home. He is not a good patient.
But he doesn't realize where he has been and what he has been through. AGAIN. We will have to go through that entire process. But he is coming out off the haze ... and is very depressed. He wanted me to drive him home from the hospital today....and when I said I couldn't he was very mad at me. It broke my heart when he wouldn't kiss me goodbye....but when I told him I loved him as I was leaving....he told me he loved me too. He sounded so resigned...et to brutus.....you failed me too.
So....if you folks have nothing to do ....go on and try to get his spirits up...I certainly can't. But I won't stop trying. Nor will our family.
Joan
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
So far so good
Off the ventilator .. we will be starting over in getting him well. I am cautiously optimistic. There has just been too many ups and downs for me to get excited about any changes.
Monday, May 16, 2011
Monday
We have some encouraging news today. He woke up and was very responsive. As responsive as he can be with all the tubes in his mouth. He was watching TV... and taking in all his new surroundings. He doesn't remember how he got to be ... where he is at right now. He talks with his eyes and his hands. We ask questions and he will nod yes or no. So he really is with it.
When Lisa and Joan left to go home I sat with him for a long time. No words were needed...just his eyes were telling me what he wanted. Sometimes when the nurse came to do stuff on him...he had the mad eyes, because it was uncomfortable, and then when I was talking about something on the TV he had the alert eyes...and was listening. Then when his tube was bothering him in his mouth...he gave me the eye roll...like I hate this shit. Then he discouvered his oxygen sensor attached to his finger... and kept pointing to it because he wanted to know what that was.... his nurse came and explained it all to him. It was like he was waking up after a long winters nap.
Still a long row to hoe.....
I was so glad to see him so reponsive because every time I have been there since this happened except for one day when he was totally confused....he has been asleep. Then when he was moved from ICU I got to talk to him but he was confused. But after he went into cardiac arrest last week I still had not had a real chance to talk to him since this all started.
Today I took this time line I had to tell him how much I loved him. We held hands and with his eyes and hands told me he loved me back.
A sister can't wish for more than that.
PS...don't worry about not being able to comment....if you want to contact me you can send me an email or give me a call.
When Lisa and Joan left to go home I sat with him for a long time. No words were needed...just his eyes were telling me what he wanted. Sometimes when the nurse came to do stuff on him...he had the mad eyes, because it was uncomfortable, and then when I was talking about something on the TV he had the alert eyes...and was listening. Then when his tube was bothering him in his mouth...he gave me the eye roll...like I hate this shit. Then he discouvered his oxygen sensor attached to his finger... and kept pointing to it because he wanted to know what that was.... his nurse came and explained it all to him. It was like he was waking up after a long winters nap.
Still a long row to hoe.....
I was so glad to see him so reponsive because every time I have been there since this happened except for one day when he was totally confused....he has been asleep. Then when he was moved from ICU I got to talk to him but he was confused. But after he went into cardiac arrest last week I still had not had a real chance to talk to him since this all started.
Today I took this time line I had to tell him how much I loved him. We held hands and with his eyes and hands told me he loved me back.
A sister can't wish for more than that.
PS...don't worry about not being able to comment....if you want to contact me you can send me an email or give me a call.
Saturday, May 14, 2011
He is holding his own today
Apparently he inhaled a lot of junk from his feeding tube in his lungs yesterday. Don't ask me why something like that happens... I have no idea.
They took him out out ICU and put him in general population of the HSC ghetto when it happened. I don't think he should have been moved that fast. He was not ready for it. He had barely got his bearings from being medicated for such a long time. They were trying to give him fluids and small amounts of food though his mouth while keeping the food tube in him in case it didn't work. He aspirated. Went in cardiac failure when that didn't work. Instead the stuff from his food tube went into his lungs.......they are trying to take all the crap out of there today........Now we start over. What more damage has been done to his Garry heart?
I an seriously wondering if this is the hospital he should be in???? Why the hurry to get him out of ICU when he couldn't put a sentence together.??? Or eat?
We need some answers and next week I hope we get them
If you want to post a comment please see the options..and if you don't have a google acct. just post as anonomous. I would love to hear what you have to say. It's very easy to do. Just click on comments right below. You will see I have 1 have posted a test one on there. Easy peasssy....
They took him out out ICU and put him in general population of the HSC ghetto when it happened. I don't think he should have been moved that fast. He was not ready for it. He had barely got his bearings from being medicated for such a long time. They were trying to give him fluids and small amounts of food though his mouth while keeping the food tube in him in case it didn't work. He aspirated. Went in cardiac failure when that didn't work. Instead the stuff from his food tube went into his lungs.......they are trying to take all the crap out of there today........Now we start over. What more damage has been done to his Garry heart?
I an seriously wondering if this is the hospital he should be in???? Why the hurry to get him out of ICU when he couldn't put a sentence together.??? Or eat?
We need some answers and next week I hope we get them
If you want to post a comment please see the options..and if you don't have a google acct. just post as anonomous. I would love to hear what you have to say. It's very easy to do. Just click on comments right below. You will see I have 1 have posted a test one on there. Easy peasssy....
Friday, May 13, 2011
Apparently he had another heart attack.
I talked to Joan late this afternoon and she said he was stable. He is conscious because this time they didn't put him under meds.... Prognosis .... we don't know.. all we know is we are going to let him fight as hard as he can to come back to us.
We are all praying he will pull through one more time. ONE. MORE. TIME. !!!
Surely God does not want him just yet....the guy is a troublemaker.
We are all praying he will pull through one more time. ONE. MORE. TIME. !!!
Sorry blogger has been down
It seems some of my updates were not posted.
Garry is back in the ICU after a very stressful morning. He aspirated what the doctors think is some fluid from his feeding tube. He has had a very hard time eating or drinking this week and so they took it away from him and put him back on the tube. This morning just before bringing him up to the ICU he became unresponsive and they had to do CPR on him. He is now back on the ventilator and has a fever.
I am just waiting for more updates from Lisa at the hospital. My legs turned into a pile of rubber when I heard this and I decided to wait here at home for any news.
Garry is back in the ICU after a very stressful morning. He aspirated what the doctors think is some fluid from his feeding tube. He has had a very hard time eating or drinking this week and so they took it away from him and put him back on the tube. This morning just before bringing him up to the ICU he became unresponsive and they had to do CPR on him. He is now back on the ventilator and has a fever.
I am just waiting for more updates from Lisa at the hospital. My legs turned into a pile of rubber when I heard this and I decided to wait here at home for any news.
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Sunday, May 8, 2011
Get your updates here!!
Hi.
I thought it would be easier to keep everyone updated on the blog than keep emailing you. So, if you feel the need to check in on him...I will keep you informed.
His vent has been removed. He is breathing on his own. He is still very very tired. I went to see him yesterday and he was fast asleep. Apparently he had visitors earlier and I guess that pooped him out. Today Lisa informed me that he had conversations with Joan and and her ...and for the first time he had ice chips he could suck on. His throat is very sore from all the crap they stick down there. (Medical terms)..ha.
He can be visited any afternoon and early evening. BUT...please don't mention anything about the untimely death of Noah ...their foster child. We don't want him to get upset. He loved those babies. He will be told when it is safe to do so. He was told today that Tony had been there and he really was sorry he missed him...so Tonyeah....make another trip to the big city....this time remember where you put your parking ticket!! ..Long story...and pretty funny. Don't feel bad Tony ... I lost my truck in the parkcade ...it took me an hour to find it while going up and down elevators. They make too many black SUV's.
This is still a work in progress.
Thanks for all your concern.
Joan
I thought it would be easier to keep everyone updated on the blog than keep emailing you. So, if you feel the need to check in on him...I will keep you informed.
His vent has been removed. He is breathing on his own. He is still very very tired. I went to see him yesterday and he was fast asleep. Apparently he had visitors earlier and I guess that pooped him out. Today Lisa informed me that he had conversations with Joan and and her ...and for the first time he had ice chips he could suck on. His throat is very sore from all the crap they stick down there. (Medical terms)..ha.
He can be visited any afternoon and early evening. BUT...please don't mention anything about the untimely death of Noah ...their foster child. We don't want him to get upset. He loved those babies. He will be told when it is safe to do so. He was told today that Tony had been there and he really was sorry he missed him...so Tonyeah....make another trip to the big city....this time remember where you put your parking ticket!! ..Long story...and pretty funny. Don't feel bad Tony ... I lost my truck in the parkcade ...it took me an hour to find it while going up and down elevators. They make too many black SUV's.
This is still a work in progress.
Thanks for all your concern.
Joan
Monday, April 4, 2011
SNL ..get your popcorn out you are in for a long ride.
Hi everyone!
Wow, what a good response. Thanks! This edition will include some never seen before pictures of our family that "Friesen" had hidden away in his old fart slides. Jody dug them up and converted them to this century. Jody thanks so much. The pictures will be at the end of the newsletter.
..................
JOAN AND GORDON:
This is much more fun than paying bills which I usually do on Sunday afternoons.
Normally a long blog like this would take me hours and hours to put together but fortunately "blogger" has come out of the dark ages and streamlined the way it accepts photo's and now it is a snap. Don't even remind me how hard it was to do in email.
So you are probably wondering how "retirement" is treating me. It was tough the first couple of months, I felt like I was on vacation and at some point I would have to go back to work. It took a long time to figure out I could do my laundry any damn day I wanted to .. not just on the weekends! Now I put a load in on let's say Monday and totally forget that I put it in ... I might remember take it out on Wednesday and have to rewash it again .... this goes on for weeks! Well I might be exaggerating. Poor Gord has to wear his shorts inside out by the time I get my act together. However, I still do my housework on Saturday afternoons ... I cannot break that habit. That is probably just as well, because if I spaced it out like the laundry this place would look like a pig sty.
Our new house is getting built slowly but surely ... mostly slowly. We weren't really prepared to sell the house and move until spring. Winter is too much of a hassle to move. So, they slowed down and are starting back up next week. I discovered that I am NOT a decorator after having to choose every damn thing for the house. So the decorator from Curtis Carpets took pity on us and is helping us through the maze of decisions we have to make in the house. I love her. She has been a great help and am grateful Dynasty Homes provides this service. Actually all the suppliers have been very helpful. Kitchen Craft spent a lot of time with us to make sure we got it right as did the others.
I am seriously going to miss this place and my neighbours. It's funny because when we moved here our street was full of young couples with kids and now they are all grown and gone. Now it looks like a seniors village ... and when we gather on the street to talk we compare how long it took the ambulance to get to the ER! Nice. Getting old is for suckers.
As most of you know Garry was in the HSC with a blood infection after getting a stent replacement. I just found out tonight that he will be coming home tomorrow. That is really good news, because as I was wheeling him around the HSC this afternoon and he was becoming a pain in the ass..LOL.. Okay... mostly my fault ... I kept on nailing him in the wall of the elevator...then I hit two doorways. By the time I got him to his room ... "he was all shook up." So, I will take all the credit for him coming home tomorrow because I knocked that infection out of him.. That is what a sista does...
Joan is still busy with fostering two little 3 month old babies with FAS. I really admire her for what she does for children with problems. Last year she had a "crack" baby .
This will be our forever home. A cottage in the woods ... yet still in the city. Perfect.
TERRY AND EV:
Hope everyone is well and enjoying the fabulous spring in Winnipeg – it could be a lot worse – we could be in Japan. Give me the Great Canadian Shield any day. All is well with the Torwart family and actually not too much new – yes we are boring – I guess that statement is from Terry and I; not the boys! Terry is really enjoying the semi-retirement phase; best of both worlds. I am still working for at least 2 more years and then can enjoy life and do what I want to do. Because of my surgery last summer I had a lot of holidays that needed to be used up by March. In January my girlfriend and I went on sell-off vacation site for a lark and by gosh we got a deal. Off we went for 2 weeks to Maya Riveria in Mexico and had a grand time. We did a lot of sightseeing and relaxing on the beach. We stayed at all inclusive and the resort was lovely – hmmm maybe next year off to some place different. Brett and Ian are doing well. Both still working at the same jobs and seem to be content. Well that is short and sweet but there really isn’t much more to add. If you are in the neighborhood drop in. All the Best Terry and Ev
TED AND BECKY:
Ted and I are still working and doing well.
Adrian is in training for the Army Reserves, Fort Garry Horse, as a combat engineer. He will graduate on April 17th. He is really enjoying it.
Declan is in grade 10 and doing very well. He is driving and will be able to get his licence in July. Ted and Declan plan to umpire baseball games again this year. They really enjoyed it last year. He is having a Japanese student for the last time this summer.
HAL AND MELISSA:
The last year has definitely been a crazy one in the Farrant household! I will start with Hal -
This time last year Hal was still working at Pacific Motors, as a business manager. In April, he was offered the same position at Pembina Chrysler, which was a BIG step up. We were thrilled, and he switched jobs, then we quickly realized this was not our dream job, but more of a nightmare. He was never home, never saw the kids, and we hated it! So, after 5 months, he quit, and decided to follow his passion of carpentry. He got a job quickly, but as construction work slows down in the winter, he was laid off. We spent a couple months in a pretty rocky situation, but right before Christmas, he got a great job at Prairie Grove Stair Manufacturing in Ile des Chenes. He is loving it there, and we are much happier now!
Because Hal's starting off a new career, I've had to start working part-time, so I went back to Olive Garden, where I've been a server in the past. Hopefully this will only be temporary though, because I miss staying home with my babies.
Teagan's had the roughest year out of all of us. About a year ago, she was diagnosed with (not using the technical terms) a "lazy eye" (I hate this term), her left eye basically stuck in the inner corner. She got glasses, and has to wear a patch on her good eye for two hours a day - this is a daily struggle, as she likes to rip it off. She has very regular visits with a specialist, and even had an MRI a couple months ago. Then last week, she had surgery to try to correct her eye. It looks like it has worked great, and we see a big improvement already.
Bad news is they found something on her MRI scan that they weren't looking for, and she now has to go for regular MRI's to monitor this "abnormality" No clue what it is yet, we are just praying it is benign. She is a very brave, tough girl, and we are so proud of how she's handling this all.
Kaedyn is three. enough said. :) Loves to torment his sister, and wants to be just like daddy. He loves spiderman, Lightning McQueen, and tractors. He's heading off to preschool in the fall.
Last of all, we sold our house a few weeks ago, and just bought another one out in Windsor Park, relocating to get closer to Hal's work. The whole house is original from the 60's, so our plan is to renovate the ENTIRE house, top to bottom. Because of Hal's new job, though, we can get a lot of the material really cheap. So that is our project for the next year!
That's all from us, hope every else had a great year!
Melissa, Halden, Kaedyn and Teagan Farrant
(The close up picture of Teagan is after her surgery, left eye turned out!)
LISA AND JORDAN:
We had a pretty good 2010. Keeping VERY busy with Kalem Jordan's almost 3 year old son (in June) doing respite for my mom and planning a social and a wedding!! We definitely ended 2010 with a bang! Jordan took me by total surprise when he popped the question on Christmas eve! We are in the middle stages of planning the social right now, and hopefully everything will come together in the end. The social is on June 18, 2011 for those of you who don't know and would like tickets. We also just had our food tasting for the wedding tonight, it was a lot of fun!
Kalem is getting very interested in the potty and seems to be taking a liking to it, so we are going with it and hopefully he will be potty trained before we know it! Woo Hoo! He is such a sweet boy and definitely a spitting image of his dad. He is very much in the "why" stage right now. Everything is "why dad?" "How come?". It's funny, whenever we ask him to do something we say "Kalem in 2 minutes it's time for bed" for example, and now his favourite thing to tell us is "OK in 2 minutes" lol damn kids pick up on everything. He's big into hockey too. Loves to go watch dad play hockey. We had him out on the ice this year on bob skates. He liked it but was more interested in the guy clearing the other rink. Ah well maybe next year!
Jordan changed jobs as of right before Christmas. He now works for Wawanesa Insurance on Broadway and Main, and is enjoying the break from working with the public. He is more behind the scenes now writing and changing policy across Canada for farm and home insurance . He is also taking some course upgrades through his work ironically at the MPI building downtown.
I'm still at Pan Am... Not much has changed there.
I did a fair bit of traveling in 2010. In February I went up to Kamloops B.C. to visit my cousin Chelsea(my moms oldest brothers daughter) who had a little girl just before Christmas. She is cute as pie and is going to be our flower girl her name is Camden. I also went on a spur of the moment trip to Las Vegas with 2 of my girlfriends for our 24th birthdays in June. It was a blast. We stayed on the old strip at the Golden Nugget Hotel. It was a great time but next time I think I would stay on the actual strip and maybe go with more then 2 days notice! We also found that 3 nights just wasn't enough time there. We visited the wax museum which was really cool, but also kind of creepy. In March of this year Jordan and I as well as 8 of our friends went to Mexico. We stayed in Playa Del Carmen. It was a great time with good friends. The weather was great except for one day when it rained, but it didn't bother us! Pool bar was open so we sat in the hot tub, all the Americans thought we were crazy and were taking pictures of us from their balcony's! It was pretty funny. We were the only ones outside all day! Stupid Canadians. We also went on a 2 and a half hour catamaran cruise into the ocean to snorkel (my first time) and then visited the Mayan Ruins in Tulum. The ruins were really neat to see, but not a fan of the snorkeling in the middle of nowhere!! Especially when they take you on this cruise feed you booze all morning and then dump you in the middle of the ocean and say "Ok stay with us, we know where the sharks are" AHHH!
Well thats it for now!
Lisa and Jordan
TIM AND DARLENE:
Really nothing exciting was going on until the fall 2010. Tim and I decided to do some home renos. The way Tim put it was “we started with Kitchen cabinets and ended with a WHOLE LOT OF OTHER SHIT!!!
It was true we did start with updating our Kitchen cabinets, then flooring, then appliances, then new front and back door. Oh and while we are at it, knock down a few walls to make a more open concept. So then we of course needed more new flooring and more painting and new carpeting for the living and bedrooms. OH my and why stop there, we did new baseboards, window frames, doors and of course MORE PAINTING. So everything was redone except the bathroom. So you got it, we couldn’t leave out the bathroom so we added new flooring and vanity and MORE PAINTING.
We now have a new house. From start to finish it took 2 months. My brother-in-law Richard was my demo guy, Carpenter, plumber, painter and finisher. We bought all the cabinets and countertops from Norcraft where Tim works (very sweet deal). All the flooring was installed by a great company called “Image flooring” on McLeod Avenue. They have an interior designer on staff that is wonderful. We managed to put most of the house back about 2 days before Christmas, but I am still unpacking boxes. I think I am at the point if I haven’t used in the last 3 months DO I REALLY NEED IT? NOT SURE. We love our new home.
I am sure most of you have heard our great news that happened Christmas morning. Kelly and Steve (Harris) are engaged! They have set their wedding date for September, 2012. It’s a good thing they have given us a bit of time; we need revive our money tree in the backyard from re-doing the house. Tim and I think the world of Steve. His is a really great guy and they are very very happy together. Tim and I couldn’t be happier.
My Mom’s reaction to Kelly and Steve’s news was “Thank goodness a wedding in Winnipeg, I don’t have to get on an airplane”. My Mom will be 92 this October and is enjoying very good health. She still manages to beat Kelly at Scrabble after Sunday dinner (LOL).
Kelly is continuing with her distance education and is hoping to finish all of her courses this year to get her certification as a Recreational Facilitator. She is still at Donwood Manor and loves the works she does. She is so good at it.
Tim and I are going to Arizona for a week in March. My Sister and Brother-in-law have rented a condo for the month of March in Phoenix so we are going down to see them. We can’t remember that last time we took an actual holiday. Most of our vacations for the last number of years have been around my nieces or nephews getting married out of town. So having an actual vacation in warm temps is going to be a real treat for us.
Tim and I are enjoying good health and are very happy our little family is growing. I have attached a couple of family pictures from a family wedding last year. Kelly, Steve with my Mom, Kelly and me, and a group picture.
Love and good health to everyone from Kelly, Steve Tim and Darlene.
FRANCES AND MURRAY:
Everything for me and for Murray is pretty much the same. The only new thing I can think of is that Murray moved last October. His apartment is lovely and welcoming. Other than that, everything is the same. I’m still in a book club, in Spirit’s Call Choir, pottery, yoga and walking my dog every day and enjoying my friends. Murray also likes to do a lot of walking, and he enjoys his cats and his friends. Hello and lots of hugs to all my cousins; first and first once removed.
Frances included some news from Scott and Sharmaine:
In January Sharmaine and Scott went to India for Sharmaine to have the M.S. surgery. She has noticed some difference, but not a lot. Another blockage has now been found in one of her veins, so they will be returning to India this month to have this vein treated.
RON AND LINDA:
Hello cousins,
Here is the update from the West Coast Cravens. Ron and I have had another happy year of retirement, and feel very lucky that we continue to be healthy. We know that life can change in a heartbeat, so we are trying to enjoy every day.
We continue to be active with golf and hiking, and have now added cycling to our repertoire. Although Glen was grossed out by the thought of us wearing those tight biking shorts!
Our garden also keeps us busy, just keeping the weeds and moss at bay is a full time job in our pesticide free community. We had loads of blueberries and strawberries last year, and even some grapes. Although I am not sure if we ate as many as the birds did!
Last summer we decided after 5 years here, we should explore our island, and some of the lower mainland B.C with our friends. We went up North West to Gold River and Tahsis, and down South to Lake Cowichan and Duncan for great scenery, golfing and hiking. We also went to Whistler to golf and hike in July and to Fernie in September, where Ron went fly fishing while I hiked and golfed.
We were in Winnipeg last June and with Ron off fishing in Minaki with Don, it didn't leave us enough time for visiting everybody. We did get to help celebrate Paige's 4th birthday and were lucky that Colin and Robyn were there too, as it had been too long since we last saw them.
The Edmonton branch of the family came here for a visit in July and we did lots of interesting activities with them including going spelunking at Horn Lake Caves, and going to "Wild Play an Aerial Tree Adventure park and Zip Line in Nanaimo. Jenna and Jeremy are at a great age for adventures! I think they both really enjoyed practising golf with Grandpa Ron too.
We once again went to Arizona November 1st for 6 weeks. We do love it there and even after 4 years there we continue find new places to explore. We came home for a quiet Christmas at home, with Glen and family being in Winnipeg. We had "Orphans Christmas" here with 12 of our friends so it was very nice.
January 31st we went on an amazing trip to New Zealand and Australia for 7 weeks. We were not near Christchurch when they had the second of two devastating earthquakes thank goodness. New Zealand is a beautiful country and small enough to drive from one end to the other, with lots of geographical changes within a short drive. We just got back here last week in time for all the spring bulbs to be bursting into blossom. When I look over the year I realize how fortunate we are to be healthy enough to have all these wonderful experiences at our stage in life.
We think about family often and must admit that it is still hard to be away from family especially when they are celebrating new babies or marriages, and when they are hurting or ill. Our best wishes for good health and happiness to all the Branches of our ever growing Schroeder Family Tree.
Love,
Linda and Ron
DON & CHRIS
Howdie Schroeder clan. Yes, I know it's a shock to hear from us since I've never made a contribution before. So here I go.
Not too many changes in our family. Don still is working for himself doing property management year round and has a snow plowing operation in the winter months and as for myself I'm still substitute teaching. Jody is extremely busy with her massage therapy practise and as of September converted her practise to a home-based business. One weekend a month she takes her massage therapy practise up north to Gillam Mb. and is sponsored by Manitoba Hydro who covers all her expenses. At least this way she gets to visit with her bro Colin more often. Colin's been happily working for Manitoba Hydro as a Mobile Crane Operator and has been stationed in Gillam for the past 3 1/2 years.
Life is not usually too exciting around here and usually everything's the same old routine. However, that suddenly changed in late Dec. when on Christmas Eve Don took a bit of a tumble on his way to bed and suffered a nasty injury. He had dislocated his left ankle 90% and fractured his tibia and phibula (hope I spelled that right) in the process. He underwent emergency surgery on Christmas Day at the Grace Hospital. It was quite a memorble Christmas or maybe I should say one we'd like to forget. He finally dismissed himself early from hospital and arrived back home on Dec. 29. It's been a long road of recovery over these past several months. The week before last, he began a course of physiotherapy which they say wil probably be at least 2-3 months. In the past week he's made some great improvements and is now able to move about slowly and surely with the aide of only one crutch. Don was thankful it was his left angle that was injured and not his right, at least he was still able to drive occasionally. Things are beginning to look up and he's looking forward to hpefully doing some golf and fishing this summer.
The excitement in our lives is surrounded by spending time with our kids and grandkids. We don't get to see Colin and Robin often, but really look forward to their visits to Wpg. They came home for Christmas this year and had just arrived 2 hours before Don's injury and luckily for us, Colin was there to give us a helping hand. Colin's stay in Wpg. at X'mas extended longer than was originally anticipated. Robin flew back to Gillam to relieve her family from sitting with their 2 babies, Striker (an English/Bull Mastif cross) and Shilo (a cute little Pug). Meanwhile Colin stayed in Wpg. longer to help out the first week Don came home from hospital. All the kids were awesome helping out!!! It was a really strange feeling to rely on others for help - we're used to it being the other way around - helping the kids out. I think I'd rather it be that way - is this a sign of what we have to look forward to in our old age!! Yikes - I think the kids got a glimpse of what it might be like - and I'm not so sure they liked what they saw!!! They're hoping we stay reeeaaaallllyyy healthy for a really long time!
As for our pride and joy - the grandkids- they are amazing to watch!! It's hard to believe Cooper's already 6 (as of Jan.) and in Kindergarten this year, attending the Mennonite Elementary School. Paige goes to pre-school 3 mornings a week this year. She'll be 5 in June, and will be attending Kindergarten in September at the same school as Cooper. Cooper really loves going to school and is such a 'sponge'! He is so quick and witty - just hilarious!! Paige is a girly-girl. Her favorite colors are pink mostly and sometimes purple. I get a chuckle out of that fact, because Jody always said she'd never dress her daughter up like a 'girly-girl in pink dresses. Ha, ha, so much for that - it's the kids who decide who and what they want!! Both Cooper and Paige are busy guys - nothing's boring when they're around. They're add spice to life that's for sure. We're so lucky to live nearby them and get to see them often.
This summer Jody, Ken and kids have secured a seasonal camping site at Falcon Lake again. They bought a Jayco trailer last season and enjoyed their time at Falcon Lake so much they really wanted to be able to go back again for the season. As luck would have it, their names were drawn again for this season and they've been awarded a full service site for the entire season. Hopefully Don is in fine form by then and we can meet up with them and take the kids boating and fishing over the summer.
It's been a long winter and we're looking forward to an enjoyable summer. Hope you're all doing well and are healthy. We wish you all the best and hope you enjoy a wonderful summer and the rest of the year ahead. Take care.
GLEN AND MICHELLE:
I am working at Calmont Leasing, just finished my first year. It's a good place to work, as long as you are productive. Many many trucks are leased and sold by us, mostly white trucks leased by companies, cities and counties/MD's. Michelle is working at the same clinic she went to when we moved here, enjoys her colleagues, very friendly laid back atmosphere.
Jeremy is grade 3 and doing French Immersion, Jenna is finishing grade 6 this year and will be in French Immersion junior high this fall. We did the tour of the shools available and she already knew which one she wanted to go to.
We had alot of hockey again this winter, it has just ended which is good and bad not too sure which- enjoyed it immensely but its nice to know every weekend day is tied up at some point with hockey. He is also trying Tae Kwan Do, he likes it alot, but there is at least 2 nights per week needed for it.
Jenna plays guitar, and has joined some tennis lessons as her sport/exercise choice. Tennis?? Oh well, hard to find places in winter here to play!
We have a new state of the art rec centre near the house with pool, waterslide, wave pool etc and full gym and 4 hockey rinks 2 minutes from home. The kids take swimming lessons, Jenna dances and Michelle has a membership there, so it has made it easier to be physically active without having to trave across the city in this long loust winter we have had.
Our summer will be spent weekending on the best lake in Alberta, Slave Lake (yes we used to live there) on a lake front seasonal site. Fishing is great there! It's about the same distance as Winnipeg-Kenora so I am used to that length. We will go away for holidays, likely take a little over one week in Winnipeg around August long weekend. My folks will use the site with the kids for at least a few days in July too. They are also driving here to spend Easter with us, we are looking forward to that too, and will hear all about the New Zealand/Australia tour they were on.
TONY AND BONNIE:
All is good. Been a. Blur since costa rica. Bonnie still working hard in the gym and looking good. From costa rica to ohio for thanksgiving then to scottsdale for a month then rented a place in goodyear 4 a month. Went back to winnipeg where we got to welcome our 5th grandchild and second grandson. Bastien Jai. Maeghan Jason portia Jewel and Bastien were all here for 9 days up to march 31. Jason and I did some bike riding. We all spent a lot of time in the pOol. Lots of shopping and playing.
The temp hit 100 yesterday witch is unseasonaly high. Met a lot of new motorcycle friends here and a lot of manitobans are in our complex. Bonnies sister Laurie visited for a week and is trying to buy a place here. Tim and Darlene say they will visit when they do arizona.....sometime soon I think.
Our sweet Jewel broke her arm today when she got run over by one of the dogs.......
Baby Teagan had eye surgury and is doing well.
I quit drinking 11 months ago and lost over 25 lbs.....been running and was hoping to do manitoba marathon but not in good enough shape since riding a harley doesn't qualify as training.
We will be driving back home in a few weeks. If we get our druthers we will sell oir house and move to winnipeg but didn't work last year. We have 5 grandkids who prob would rather we stay at the lake.
I'm still doing some car biz and trying to be a poker player. Won a toirnament here a month ago.
I'm jamming here at the last minute but hope that gives u a glimps of what we've been up to.
Happy summer
Tony and bonnie
IN THE OLDEN DAYS: in no particular order....thanks to Jody and Don
Most pictures are from the Grande sector of the family but if you guys have a bunch of pic's to share of your family and or all of us together I would love to have them.
I think someone said.... no cake for you Glen.
That's all folks....see you next year.
JSMARTIN
SNL EDITOR AND CHIEF
Wow, what a good response. Thanks! This edition will include some never seen before pictures of our family that "Friesen" had hidden away in his old fart slides. Jody dug them up and converted them to this century. Jody thanks so much. The pictures will be at the end of the newsletter.
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JOAN AND GORDON:
This is much more fun than paying bills which I usually do on Sunday afternoons.
Normally a long blog like this would take me hours and hours to put together but fortunately "blogger" has come out of the dark ages and streamlined the way it accepts photo's and now it is a snap. Don't even remind me how hard it was to do in email.
So you are probably wondering how "retirement" is treating me. It was tough the first couple of months, I felt like I was on vacation and at some point I would have to go back to work. It took a long time to figure out I could do my laundry any damn day I wanted to .. not just on the weekends! Now I put a load in on let's say Monday and totally forget that I put it in ... I might remember take it out on Wednesday and have to rewash it again .... this goes on for weeks! Well I might be exaggerating. Poor Gord has to wear his shorts inside out by the time I get my act together. However, I still do my housework on Saturday afternoons ... I cannot break that habit. That is probably just as well, because if I spaced it out like the laundry this place would look like a pig sty.
Our new house is getting built slowly but surely ... mostly slowly. We weren't really prepared to sell the house and move until spring. Winter is too much of a hassle to move. So, they slowed down and are starting back up next week. I discovered that I am NOT a decorator after having to choose every damn thing for the house. So the decorator from Curtis Carpets took pity on us and is helping us through the maze of decisions we have to make in the house. I love her. She has been a great help and am grateful Dynasty Homes provides this service. Actually all the suppliers have been very helpful. Kitchen Craft spent a lot of time with us to make sure we got it right as did the others.
I am seriously going to miss this place and my neighbours. It's funny because when we moved here our street was full of young couples with kids and now they are all grown and gone. Now it looks like a seniors village ... and when we gather on the street to talk we compare how long it took the ambulance to get to the ER! Nice. Getting old is for suckers.
As most of you know Garry was in the HSC with a blood infection after getting a stent replacement. I just found out tonight that he will be coming home tomorrow. That is really good news, because as I was wheeling him around the HSC this afternoon and he was becoming a pain in the ass..LOL.. Okay... mostly my fault ... I kept on nailing him in the wall of the elevator...then I hit two doorways. By the time I got him to his room ... "he was all shook up." So, I will take all the credit for him coming home tomorrow because I knocked that infection out of him.. That is what a sista does...
Joan is still busy with fostering two little 3 month old babies with FAS. I really admire her for what she does for children with problems. Last year she had a "crack" baby .
This will be our forever home. A cottage in the woods ... yet still in the city. Perfect.
We will have a lot of wildlife here. I saw 12 deer sauntering past the house the other day. It's a good thing I don't like to garden.
Here we go ... and don't forget if you want to see a larger picture just click on it and then to get back to the original screen press the upper left hand corner "back" button.
TERRY AND EV:
Hope everyone is well and enjoying the fabulous spring in Winnipeg – it could be a lot worse – we could be in Japan. Give me the Great Canadian Shield any day. All is well with the Torwart family and actually not too much new – yes we are boring – I guess that statement is from Terry and I; not the boys! Terry is really enjoying the semi-retirement phase; best of both worlds. I am still working for at least 2 more years and then can enjoy life and do what I want to do. Because of my surgery last summer I had a lot of holidays that needed to be used up by March. In January my girlfriend and I went on sell-off vacation site for a lark and by gosh we got a deal. Off we went for 2 weeks to Maya Riveria in Mexico and had a grand time. We did a lot of sightseeing and relaxing on the beach. We stayed at all inclusive and the resort was lovely – hmmm maybe next year off to some place different. Brett and Ian are doing well. Both still working at the same jobs and seem to be content. Well that is short and sweet but there really isn’t much more to add. If you are in the neighborhood drop in. All the Best Terry and Ev
TED AND BECKY:
Ted and I are still working and doing well.
Adrian is in training for the Army Reserves, Fort Garry Horse, as a combat engineer. He will graduate on April 17th. He is really enjoying it.
Declan is in grade 10 and doing very well. He is driving and will be able to get his licence in July. Ted and Declan plan to umpire baseball games again this year. They really enjoyed it last year. He is having a Japanese student for the last time this summer.
HAL AND MELISSA:
The last year has definitely been a crazy one in the Farrant household! I will start with Hal -
This time last year Hal was still working at Pacific Motors, as a business manager. In April, he was offered the same position at Pembina Chrysler, which was a BIG step up. We were thrilled, and he switched jobs, then we quickly realized this was not our dream job, but more of a nightmare. He was never home, never saw the kids, and we hated it! So, after 5 months, he quit, and decided to follow his passion of carpentry. He got a job quickly, but as construction work slows down in the winter, he was laid off. We spent a couple months in a pretty rocky situation, but right before Christmas, he got a great job at Prairie Grove Stair Manufacturing in Ile des Chenes. He is loving it there, and we are much happier now!
Because Hal's starting off a new career, I've had to start working part-time, so I went back to Olive Garden, where I've been a server in the past. Hopefully this will only be temporary though, because I miss staying home with my babies.
Teagan's had the roughest year out of all of us. About a year ago, she was diagnosed with (not using the technical terms) a "lazy eye" (I hate this term), her left eye basically stuck in the inner corner. She got glasses, and has to wear a patch on her good eye for two hours a day - this is a daily struggle, as she likes to rip it off. She has very regular visits with a specialist, and even had an MRI a couple months ago. Then last week, she had surgery to try to correct her eye. It looks like it has worked great, and we see a big improvement already.
Bad news is they found something on her MRI scan that they weren't looking for, and she now has to go for regular MRI's to monitor this "abnormality" No clue what it is yet, we are just praying it is benign. She is a very brave, tough girl, and we are so proud of how she's handling this all.
Kaedyn is three. enough said. :) Loves to torment his sister, and wants to be just like daddy. He loves spiderman, Lightning McQueen, and tractors. He's heading off to preschool in the fall.
Last of all, we sold our house a few weeks ago, and just bought another one out in Windsor Park, relocating to get closer to Hal's work. The whole house is original from the 60's, so our plan is to renovate the ENTIRE house, top to bottom. Because of Hal's new job, though, we can get a lot of the material really cheap. So that is our project for the next year!
That's all from us, hope every else had a great year!
Melissa, Halden, Kaedyn and Teagan Farrant
(The close up picture of Teagan is after her surgery, left eye turned out!)
AWWWW
LISA AND JORDAN:
We had a pretty good 2010. Keeping VERY busy with Kalem Jordan's almost 3 year old son (in June) doing respite for my mom and planning a social and a wedding!! We definitely ended 2010 with a bang! Jordan took me by total surprise when he popped the question on Christmas eve! We are in the middle stages of planning the social right now, and hopefully everything will come together in the end. The social is on June 18, 2011 for those of you who don't know and would like tickets. We also just had our food tasting for the wedding tonight, it was a lot of fun!
Kalem is getting very interested in the potty and seems to be taking a liking to it, so we are going with it and hopefully he will be potty trained before we know it! Woo Hoo! He is such a sweet boy and definitely a spitting image of his dad. He is very much in the "why" stage right now. Everything is "why dad?" "How come?". It's funny, whenever we ask him to do something we say "Kalem in 2 minutes it's time for bed" for example, and now his favourite thing to tell us is "OK in 2 minutes" lol damn kids pick up on everything. He's big into hockey too. Loves to go watch dad play hockey. We had him out on the ice this year on bob skates. He liked it but was more interested in the guy clearing the other rink. Ah well maybe next year!
Jordan changed jobs as of right before Christmas. He now works for Wawanesa Insurance on Broadway and Main, and is enjoying the break from working with the public. He is more behind the scenes now writing and changing policy across Canada for farm and home insurance . He is also taking some course upgrades through his work ironically at the MPI building downtown.
I'm still at Pan Am... Not much has changed there.
I did a fair bit of traveling in 2010. In February I went up to Kamloops B.C. to visit my cousin Chelsea(my moms oldest brothers daughter) who had a little girl just before Christmas. She is cute as pie and is going to be our flower girl her name is Camden. I also went on a spur of the moment trip to Las Vegas with 2 of my girlfriends for our 24th birthdays in June. It was a blast. We stayed on the old strip at the Golden Nugget Hotel. It was a great time but next time I think I would stay on the actual strip and maybe go with more then 2 days notice! We also found that 3 nights just wasn't enough time there. We visited the wax museum which was really cool, but also kind of creepy. In March of this year Jordan and I as well as 8 of our friends went to Mexico. We stayed in Playa Del Carmen. It was a great time with good friends. The weather was great except for one day when it rained, but it didn't bother us! Pool bar was open so we sat in the hot tub, all the Americans thought we were crazy and were taking pictures of us from their balcony's! It was pretty funny. We were the only ones outside all day! Stupid Canadians. We also went on a 2 and a half hour catamaran cruise into the ocean to snorkel (my first time) and then visited the Mayan Ruins in Tulum. The ruins were really neat to see, but not a fan of the snorkeling in the middle of nowhere!! Especially when they take you on this cruise feed you booze all morning and then dump you in the middle of the ocean and say "Ok stay with us, we know where the sharks are" AHHH!
Well thats it for now!
Lisa and Jordan
CHERI AND SHANE:
Hi everyone!
Well, it's been a pretty busy last couple months for us; with Dad in the hospital, switching jobs and fostering puppies. I'm definitely ready for summer!!
Dad is doing better. He's been in the hospital for about 18 days now, and he's good and ready to get out with or without their permission at this point! lol He hates the hospital food and all the poking and prodding. He's still on antibiotics for another couple days, and we'll see where it goes from there. He's still a little confused, but it seems to be clearing up. It's a little hard for him to motor around though. He still has some pain and stiffness, especially from being bedridden so long. So far so good...
I left Shaw and went to MTS, ironically enough, a couple weeks ago. Then word of Shaw's layoffs hit the news and I started feeling better about the decision! They've made a lot of changes that I don't agree with recently, so I'm glad I'm out. There are a few ex-Shaw employees and others from other call centres I've worked at in training with me, so I feel right at home. Plus Shane works there, so that's nice for carpooling and whatnot. Plus it's much much easier to bus to, and has actual stores near it. (Sadly, McDonalds is closest...I can hear my arteries in the future clogging from here!)
In between all this, Shane and I have been fostering puppies for a rescue group called Manitoba Mutts Pet Rescue. You can look them up under that on Facebook. We took two 3 month old black males, Max and Scooter. Smartest, sweetest little guys! Because of Shiloh, our adult dog, they were potty trained in two weeks, which was awesome because I was having nightmares about trying to control two mobile poop machines. We had them for a couple months before I kind of cracked and now we have Scooter on a permanent basis. He was too sweet to let go!!! Max was kept also by the foster family that took him after us, so I'm happy we'll be able to keep in touch somewhat. He was very sweet also, but we couldn't keep both! lol
Love to you all, that's all I can think of for now,
Cheri & Shane
Well, it's been a pretty busy last couple months for us; with Dad in the hospital, switching jobs and fostering puppies. I'm definitely ready for summer!!
Dad is doing better. He's been in the hospital for about 18 days now, and he's good and ready to get out with or without their permission at this point! lol He hates the hospital food and all the poking and prodding. He's still on antibiotics for another couple days, and we'll see where it goes from there. He's still a little confused, but it seems to be clearing up. It's a little hard for him to motor around though. He still has some pain and stiffness, especially from being bedridden so long. So far so good...
I left Shaw and went to MTS, ironically enough, a couple weeks ago. Then word of Shaw's layoffs hit the news and I started feeling better about the decision! They've made a lot of changes that I don't agree with recently, so I'm glad I'm out. There are a few ex-Shaw employees and others from other call centres I've worked at in training with me, so I feel right at home. Plus Shane works there, so that's nice for carpooling and whatnot. Plus it's much much easier to bus to, and has actual stores near it. (Sadly, McDonalds is closest...I can hear my arteries in the future clogging from here!)
In between all this, Shane and I have been fostering puppies for a rescue group called Manitoba Mutts Pet Rescue. You can look them up under that on Facebook. We took two 3 month old black males, Max and Scooter. Smartest, sweetest little guys! Because of Shiloh, our adult dog, they were potty trained in two weeks, which was awesome because I was having nightmares about trying to control two mobile poop machines. We had them for a couple months before I kind of cracked and now we have Scooter on a permanent basis. He was too sweet to let go!!! Max was kept also by the foster family that took him after us, so I'm happy we'll be able to keep in touch somewhat. He was very sweet also, but we couldn't keep both! lol
Love to you all, that's all I can think of for now,
Cheri & Shane
TIM AND DARLENE:
Really nothing exciting was going on until the fall 2010. Tim and I decided to do some home renos. The way Tim put it was “we started with Kitchen cabinets and ended with a WHOLE LOT OF OTHER SHIT!!!
It was true we did start with updating our Kitchen cabinets, then flooring, then appliances, then new front and back door. Oh and while we are at it, knock down a few walls to make a more open concept. So then we of course needed more new flooring and more painting and new carpeting for the living and bedrooms. OH my and why stop there, we did new baseboards, window frames, doors and of course MORE PAINTING. So everything was redone except the bathroom. So you got it, we couldn’t leave out the bathroom so we added new flooring and vanity and MORE PAINTING.
We now have a new house. From start to finish it took 2 months. My brother-in-law Richard was my demo guy, Carpenter, plumber, painter and finisher. We bought all the cabinets and countertops from Norcraft where Tim works (very sweet deal). All the flooring was installed by a great company called “Image flooring” on McLeod Avenue. They have an interior designer on staff that is wonderful. We managed to put most of the house back about 2 days before Christmas, but I am still unpacking boxes. I think I am at the point if I haven’t used in the last 3 months DO I REALLY NEED IT? NOT SURE. We love our new home.
I am sure most of you have heard our great news that happened Christmas morning. Kelly and Steve (Harris) are engaged! They have set their wedding date for September, 2012. It’s a good thing they have given us a bit of time; we need revive our money tree in the backyard from re-doing the house. Tim and I think the world of Steve. His is a really great guy and they are very very happy together. Tim and I couldn’t be happier.
My Mom’s reaction to Kelly and Steve’s news was “Thank goodness a wedding in Winnipeg, I don’t have to get on an airplane”. My Mom will be 92 this October and is enjoying very good health. She still manages to beat Kelly at Scrabble after Sunday dinner (LOL).
Kelly is continuing with her distance education and is hoping to finish all of her courses this year to get her certification as a Recreational Facilitator. She is still at Donwood Manor and loves the works she does. She is so good at it.
Tim and I are going to Arizona for a week in March. My Sister and Brother-in-law have rented a condo for the month of March in Phoenix so we are going down to see them. We can’t remember that last time we took an actual holiday. Most of our vacations for the last number of years have been around my nieces or nephews getting married out of town. So having an actual vacation in warm temps is going to be a real treat for us.
Tim and I are enjoying good health and are very happy our little family is growing. I have attached a couple of family pictures from a family wedding last year. Kelly, Steve with my Mom, Kelly and me, and a group picture.
Love and good health to everyone from Kelly, Steve Tim and Darlene.
FRANCES AND MURRAY:
Everything for me and for Murray is pretty much the same. The only new thing I can think of is that Murray moved last October. His apartment is lovely and welcoming. Other than that, everything is the same. I’m still in a book club, in Spirit’s Call Choir, pottery, yoga and walking my dog every day and enjoying my friends. Murray also likes to do a lot of walking, and he enjoys his cats and his friends. Hello and lots of hugs to all my cousins; first and first once removed.
Frances included some news from Scott and Sharmaine:
In January Sharmaine and Scott went to India for Sharmaine to have the M.S. surgery. She has noticed some difference, but not a lot. Another blockage has now been found in one of her veins, so they will be returning to India this month to have this vein treated.
RON AND LINDA:
Hello cousins,
Here is the update from the West Coast Cravens. Ron and I have had another happy year of retirement, and feel very lucky that we continue to be healthy. We know that life can change in a heartbeat, so we are trying to enjoy every day.
We continue to be active with golf and hiking, and have now added cycling to our repertoire. Although Glen was grossed out by the thought of us wearing those tight biking shorts!
Our garden also keeps us busy, just keeping the weeds and moss at bay is a full time job in our pesticide free community. We had loads of blueberries and strawberries last year, and even some grapes. Although I am not sure if we ate as many as the birds did!
Last summer we decided after 5 years here, we should explore our island, and some of the lower mainland B.C with our friends. We went up North West to Gold River and Tahsis, and down South to Lake Cowichan and Duncan for great scenery, golfing and hiking. We also went to Whistler to golf and hike in July and to Fernie in September, where Ron went fly fishing while I hiked and golfed.
We were in Winnipeg last June and with Ron off fishing in Minaki with Don, it didn't leave us enough time for visiting everybody. We did get to help celebrate Paige's 4th birthday and were lucky that Colin and Robyn were there too, as it had been too long since we last saw them.
The Edmonton branch of the family came here for a visit in July and we did lots of interesting activities with them including going spelunking at Horn Lake Caves, and going to "Wild Play an Aerial Tree Adventure park and Zip Line in Nanaimo. Jenna and Jeremy are at a great age for adventures! I think they both really enjoyed practising golf with Grandpa Ron too.
We once again went to Arizona November 1st for 6 weeks. We do love it there and even after 4 years there we continue find new places to explore. We came home for a quiet Christmas at home, with Glen and family being in Winnipeg. We had "Orphans Christmas" here with 12 of our friends so it was very nice.
January 31st we went on an amazing trip to New Zealand and Australia for 7 weeks. We were not near Christchurch when they had the second of two devastating earthquakes thank goodness. New Zealand is a beautiful country and small enough to drive from one end to the other, with lots of geographical changes within a short drive. We just got back here last week in time for all the spring bulbs to be bursting into blossom. When I look over the year I realize how fortunate we are to be healthy enough to have all these wonderful experiences at our stage in life.
We think about family often and must admit that it is still hard to be away from family especially when they are celebrating new babies or marriages, and when they are hurting or ill. Our best wishes for good health and happiness to all the Branches of our ever growing Schroeder Family Tree.
Love,
Linda and Ron
Sunset over Qualicum Beach- please come and visit-it's beautiful!
Jenna and Jeremy at the Aerial Tree Adventure Park-Nanaimo
-Hiking at Lake Cowichan
On board the Sea Finn-overnight cruise in Doubtful Sound New Zealand
DON & CHRIS
Howdie Schroeder clan. Yes, I know it's a shock to hear from us since I've never made a contribution before. So here I go.
Not too many changes in our family. Don still is working for himself doing property management year round and has a snow plowing operation in the winter months and as for myself I'm still substitute teaching. Jody is extremely busy with her massage therapy practise and as of September converted her practise to a home-based business. One weekend a month she takes her massage therapy practise up north to Gillam Mb. and is sponsored by Manitoba Hydro who covers all her expenses. At least this way she gets to visit with her bro Colin more often. Colin's been happily working for Manitoba Hydro as a Mobile Crane Operator and has been stationed in Gillam for the past 3 1/2 years.
Life is not usually too exciting around here and usually everything's the same old routine. However, that suddenly changed in late Dec. when on Christmas Eve Don took a bit of a tumble on his way to bed and suffered a nasty injury. He had dislocated his left ankle 90% and fractured his tibia and phibula (hope I spelled that right) in the process. He underwent emergency surgery on Christmas Day at the Grace Hospital. It was quite a memorble Christmas or maybe I should say one we'd like to forget. He finally dismissed himself early from hospital and arrived back home on Dec. 29. It's been a long road of recovery over these past several months. The week before last, he began a course of physiotherapy which they say wil probably be at least 2-3 months. In the past week he's made some great improvements and is now able to move about slowly and surely with the aide of only one crutch. Don was thankful it was his left angle that was injured and not his right, at least he was still able to drive occasionally. Things are beginning to look up and he's looking forward to hpefully doing some golf and fishing this summer.
The excitement in our lives is surrounded by spending time with our kids and grandkids. We don't get to see Colin and Robin often, but really look forward to their visits to Wpg. They came home for Christmas this year and had just arrived 2 hours before Don's injury and luckily for us, Colin was there to give us a helping hand. Colin's stay in Wpg. at X'mas extended longer than was originally anticipated. Robin flew back to Gillam to relieve her family from sitting with their 2 babies, Striker (an English/Bull Mastif cross) and Shilo (a cute little Pug). Meanwhile Colin stayed in Wpg. longer to help out the first week Don came home from hospital. All the kids were awesome helping out!!! It was a really strange feeling to rely on others for help - we're used to it being the other way around - helping the kids out. I think I'd rather it be that way - is this a sign of what we have to look forward to in our old age!! Yikes - I think the kids got a glimpse of what it might be like - and I'm not so sure they liked what they saw!!! They're hoping we stay reeeaaaallllyyy healthy for a really long time!
As for our pride and joy - the grandkids- they are amazing to watch!! It's hard to believe Cooper's already 6 (as of Jan.) and in Kindergarten this year, attending the Mennonite Elementary School. Paige goes to pre-school 3 mornings a week this year. She'll be 5 in June, and will be attending Kindergarten in September at the same school as Cooper. Cooper really loves going to school and is such a 'sponge'! He is so quick and witty - just hilarious!! Paige is a girly-girl. Her favorite colors are pink mostly and sometimes purple. I get a chuckle out of that fact, because Jody always said she'd never dress her daughter up like a 'girly-girl in pink dresses. Ha, ha, so much for that - it's the kids who decide who and what they want!! Both Cooper and Paige are busy guys - nothing's boring when they're around. They're add spice to life that's for sure. We're so lucky to live nearby them and get to see them often.
This summer Jody, Ken and kids have secured a seasonal camping site at Falcon Lake again. They bought a Jayco trailer last season and enjoyed their time at Falcon Lake so much they really wanted to be able to go back again for the season. As luck would have it, their names were drawn again for this season and they've been awarded a full service site for the entire season. Hopefully Don is in fine form by then and we can meet up with them and take the kids boating and fishing over the summer.
It's been a long winter and we're looking forward to an enjoyable summer. Hope you're all doing well and are healthy. We wish you all the best and hope you enjoy a wonderful summer and the rest of the year ahead. Take care.
GLEN AND MICHELLE:
I am working at Calmont Leasing, just finished my first year. It's a good place to work, as long as you are productive. Many many trucks are leased and sold by us, mostly white trucks leased by companies, cities and counties/MD's. Michelle is working at the same clinic she went to when we moved here, enjoys her colleagues, very friendly laid back atmosphere.
Jeremy is grade 3 and doing French Immersion, Jenna is finishing grade 6 this year and will be in French Immersion junior high this fall. We did the tour of the shools available and she already knew which one she wanted to go to.
We had alot of hockey again this winter, it has just ended which is good and bad not too sure which- enjoyed it immensely but its nice to know every weekend day is tied up at some point with hockey. He is also trying Tae Kwan Do, he likes it alot, but there is at least 2 nights per week needed for it.
Jenna plays guitar, and has joined some tennis lessons as her sport/exercise choice. Tennis?? Oh well, hard to find places in winter here to play!
We have a new state of the art rec centre near the house with pool, waterslide, wave pool etc and full gym and 4 hockey rinks 2 minutes from home. The kids take swimming lessons, Jenna dances and Michelle has a membership there, so it has made it easier to be physically active without having to trave across the city in this long loust winter we have had.
Our summer will be spent weekending on the best lake in Alberta, Slave Lake (yes we used to live there) on a lake front seasonal site. Fishing is great there! It's about the same distance as Winnipeg-Kenora so I am used to that length. We will go away for holidays, likely take a little over one week in Winnipeg around August long weekend. My folks will use the site with the kids for at least a few days in July too. They are also driving here to spend Easter with us, we are looking forward to that too, and will hear all about the New Zealand/Australia tour they were on.
TONY AND BONNIE:
All is good. Been a. Blur since costa rica. Bonnie still working hard in the gym and looking good. From costa rica to ohio for thanksgiving then to scottsdale for a month then rented a place in goodyear 4 a month. Went back to winnipeg where we got to welcome our 5th grandchild and second grandson. Bastien Jai. Maeghan Jason portia Jewel and Bastien were all here for 9 days up to march 31. Jason and I did some bike riding. We all spent a lot of time in the pOol. Lots of shopping and playing.
The temp hit 100 yesterday witch is unseasonaly high. Met a lot of new motorcycle friends here and a lot of manitobans are in our complex. Bonnies sister Laurie visited for a week and is trying to buy a place here. Tim and Darlene say they will visit when they do arizona.....sometime soon I think.
Our sweet Jewel broke her arm today when she got run over by one of the dogs.......
Baby Teagan had eye surgury and is doing well.
I quit drinking 11 months ago and lost over 25 lbs.....been running and was hoping to do manitoba marathon but not in good enough shape since riding a harley doesn't qualify as training.
We will be driving back home in a few weeks. If we get our druthers we will sell oir house and move to winnipeg but didn't work last year. We have 5 grandkids who prob would rather we stay at the lake.
I'm still doing some car biz and trying to be a poker player. Won a toirnament here a month ago.
I'm jamming here at the last minute but hope that gives u a glimps of what we've been up to.
Happy summer
Tony and bonnie
Editors note: Tony? what in the hell is that? I hope you didn't drop your cell phone.
IN THE OLDEN DAYS: in no particular order....thanks to Jody and Don
Most pictures are from the Grande sector of the family but if you guys have a bunch of pic's to share of your family and or all of us together I would love to have them.
Bonnie & the Sasquatch
Ron and Linda ..getting all serious
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| He looks way to happy ....what's in that box? |
Friesen doing his best Burt Reynolds impression
I think someone said.... no cake for you Glen.
Jody taking her first dump in Grandpa's lap.
Auntie Betty turning 2
Ted and Becky's Wedding
Should I jump? I hate my gay perm.
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| I think they were at a NDP victory party in the 1970's |
Auntie Pat
Drinking and driving with a small child? Not to mention a very bad hair day.
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| This is what happens when your only son put a pot on your head. |
Garry with his best friend Donny Martel.
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| Garry & Joan's Wedding |
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| Our stinking Lincoln |
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| Grandpa's birthday |
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| Joan and Garry's wedding.... |
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| A man who is looking to get shot. Or shoot himself.... |
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| Kissing Garry and Joan |
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| F'n nutcase ... Tony probably put him up to this. |
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| I can just hear Auntie Betty laughing..... at Tony's fro. |
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| Classic |
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| Morley Avenue... I remember the table and the cupboards. I lived there for a short while. |
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| Glen looking at Grandpa Grande with some trepidation............. |
That's all folks....see you next year.
JSMARTIN
SNL EDITOR AND CHIEF
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