Seasons greetings from Calgary!

This year has been filled with exciting adventures, fabulous friends and new hobbies, so I thought I would try something new with the Christmas cards I normally send out to those I love the most and hold dearest in my heart … This little letter is filled with highlights of 2010, and aspirations for 2011. I trust that everything is going great for you and your family, and that this year has been filled with fantastic events, special moments and warm memories to last a lifetime!

I’m still working at Lasik MD, as a tech and a patient counselor. I love my job, the service we provide, and my coworkers are wonderful! I started 2010 as a recipient of that service we provide, which I prefer to call a gift. Having a -7 prescription (which means I couldn’t see a thing without wearing my contacts or glasses) and then seeing 20/20 without glasses or contacts less than 24 hrs later, truly is miraculous! I’m filled with gratitude for my vision on a daily basis and really couldn’t be happier with the results of my surgery.

The roommates, Peter and Christine, departed in January for a 3-month excursion in New Zealand which found Logan and I with a hint of empty nest syndrome. It couldn’t really blossom into anything more than a hint as the months to follow brought a trip down south and a lovely couple of visitors. February generously brought my “Guess what, I’m pregnant!” friend, Miss Lindsay Young, from Newfoundland. In March, Logan and I embarked on a 2-week adventure in Mazatlan, Mexico where we thrived as surfer and beach-bum, respectively. Mazatlan is a beautiful coastal port with great culture and very friendly, generous locals. We were blessed with great experiences and would love to return there again someday. April kindly delivered Miss Leah Feltham for her 28th birthday celebration. She took the quick flight from Kamloops, BC, where she was residing at the time. Upon her arrival at the Calgary airport, Leah received a rather gigantic birthday surprise: her boyfriend Craig was there to greet her, all the way from Newfoundland! Needless to say, she was flabbergasted, and what followed was an awesome fun-filled weekend together!

This year, adding to my repertoire, I began running. I successfully completed a 10km run and two 5km runs – and thoroughly enjoyed each. It’s a pretty amazing experience running for a cause and feeling the energy and adrenaline of the participants running with you. I look forward to the races 2011 will bring!

It was Logan’s Grandma Alwyne’s 90th birthday celebration in June, in Duncan, BC. We were blessed to attend this event thanks to Logan’s bighearted mother, Gaileen:) It was really wonderful to meet Logan’s father’s side of the family at this time and not surprisingly, they’re all very lovely people! 3 of my cousins from Liverpool, England came to Canada for the very first time this summer. Paul, Mark, and Jack spent 2 weeks with us doing our favorite things: hiking, climbing mountains, camping, celebrating and dancing! It was truly wonderful spending time together and getting to know these beautiful individuals who we are lucky to call family. Also this summer, Logan was once again sponsored by his employer, Mountain Equipment Co-op and competed in a total of 8 downhill mountain bike races. We were all ecstatic and so proud when he won a gold medal in his category at the Canada Cup in Panorama, BC!

In August, while my 3 roommates were enjoying a week-long downhill, mountain biking trip in Whistler, BC, I revisited my roots and took a solo-vacay to Windsor, ON, and Newfoundland. Honored and delighted, I stood beside my best-girl, Miss Jennifer Hewer, as she tied the knot and became Mrs Jennifer Jones! It was a beautiful celebration of love and life and spending time with this woman is always #1 in my books! From there, I jetted over to my Newfoundland family where another two weeks of fun awaited me. I spent the time enjoying my parents’ beautiful home on the water. Dad had a break from work which allowed us to have lots of fun together cruising around on his motorcycle and heading out for a couple of boat rides. My visit found my friends and relatives to be happy and enjoying their lives which, in turn, makes me feel warm and fuzzy! I went on a whale watching expedition and it was so wonderful that I will make a point of doing it every time I return home. The highlight of my trip though was meeting Miss Lindsay Young’s 4-hr old baby girl in the hospital, Natalie. I waited for her the whole two weeks but of course, just like her Mama, she was a little late and arrived only one hour before my return flight! It was very well worth it though as I had never met that new of a life before and it was quite an incredible experience.

When I returned to Calgary in September, I discovered my brother and Christine went and had a baby while I was away! I became an Auntie to a lovely little puppy we call Fisher. Fisher is the star attraction of our household now and we are certainly left wondering how we ever thought our lives complete before this little sparkle arrived! We experienced a beautiful autumn, complete with colorful leaves (a rarity for Calgary), unseasonably warm weather and earth smells abound! With the season came a change in activities. I have been enjoying hot yoga once or twice a week, and Logan has swapped his bike for his board. Despite the frigid temperatures and plenty of snow that late November has brought, we’ve been quick to grow our winter skin and have been spending as much time in nature as we can (as per usual)!

The four of us recently experienced the Cirque Du Soleil for the first time and only one word comes to mind now as my memory dances back to that show: amazing! We all agreed that we will never miss the opportunity to see this extraordinary group of individuals again. Also, Peter had laser eye surgery last month and Christine will follow suit in December. Speaking of December, the month will also bring Logan’s Mom for a visit from Victoria, a few Christmas parties, and a simple, cozy food-beverage-and friend filled Christmastime at the Marsh-Couet-Keats household! On Christmas morning my household will also have the pleasure of making and serving breakfast at a local shelter.

That’s all for now loved ones ... I wish you the happiest Christmas of all time and hope 2011 will bring you an abundance of what it is you desire!

A Dog's Purpose (from a 6-year old)

I found this fantastic story in a blog I came across this morning. Enjoy!

Being a veterinarian, I had been called to examine a ten-year-old Irish Wolfhound named Belker. The dog’s owners, Ron, his wife Lisa, and their little boy Shane, were all very attached to Belker, and they were hoping for a miracle.

I examined Belker and found he was dying of cancer. I told the family we couldn’t do anything for Belker, and offered to perform the euthanasia procedure for the old dog in their home.

As we made arrangements, Ron and Lisa told me they thought it would be good for six-year-old Shane to observe the procedure. They felt as though Shane might learn something from the experience.

The next day, I felt the familiar catch in my throat as Belker ‘s family surrounded him. Shane seemed so calm, petting the old dog for the last time, that I wondered if he understood what was going on. Within a few minutes, Belker slipped peacefully away.

The little boy seemed to accept Belker’s transition without any difficulty or confusion. We sat together for a while after Belker’s Death, wondering aloud about the sad fact that animal lives are shorter than human lives. Shane, who had been listening quietly, piped up, "I know why."

Startled, we all turned to him. What came out of his mouth next stunned me. I’d never heard a more comforting explanation. It has changed the way I try and live.

He said, "People are born so that they can learn how to live a good life — like loving everybody all the time and being nice, right?" The six-year-old continued, "Well, dogs already know how to do that, so they don’t have to stay as long."

Live simply.

Love generously.

Care deeply.

Speak kindly.

Remember, if a dog was the teacher you would learn things like:

~When loved ones come home, always run to greet them.

~Never pass up the opportunity to go for a joyride.

~Allow the experience of fresh air and the wind in your face to be pure Ecstasy.

~Take naps.

~Stretch before rising.

~Run, romp, and play daily.

~Thrive on attention and let people touch you.

~Avoid biting when a simple growl will do.

~On warm days, stop to lie on your back on the grass.

~On hot days, drink lots of water and lie under a shady tree.

~When you’re happy, dance around and wag your entire body.

~Delight in the simple joy of a long walk.

~Be loyal.

~Never pretend to be something you’re not.

~If what you want lies buried, dig until you find it.

~When someone is having a bad day, be silent, sit close by, and nuzzle them gently.

~ENJOY EVERY MOMENT OF EVERY DAY!

A celebration of me!

The link below will bring you to some very kind words from a good friend of mine. Love love love!

A celebration of me!