Exit 44

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

2008-12-29T22:54:00.004-08:00

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and that you all have a great start to 2009.

It has been a busy year for us as I'm sure it has been for all of you. Katie, school, dogs, soccer and housework make each day action packed and sometimes I wish there were more hours in the day. Lately Katie has been sleeping better which has made life a whole lot easier, now I just need to make myself go to bed at a decent hour. Too bad I like watching Law and Order so much.

Katie continues to be the light of my life and is an extremely well adjusted and happy child if I do say so myself. She really enjoyed interacting with everyone over Christmas. Her talking has increased exponentially over the holiday and she's so proud of herself too. While before she was able to say quite a few words like Indy, more, uppy (up), and bo (bottle), mummy, bye-bye, hi, Oma, Opa, Harley now she says them confidently, frequently and with out prompting and she's added Irene, Grandad, Grandma, George, Molson, Anna, Jodi, Jeremy, Jeff, Catherine, please, thank you and so many more that I actually can't keep track. It's really fun to watch her. She brings joy to everyone around her.

I'm very lucky because Katie is very social and she loves spending time with the Hope family, Stuart family, Jackson family, Dressel family and all of my friends. She blossoms with their love and attention and although she brings me immense joy I really appreciate time away as well. Katie is in Gibsons tonight and so that is why I have the time and energy to write this post.

There is so much I want to write and say but I think that I will have to save it for the next post.
Happy New Year everyone!
I hope you all had a Merry Christmas as well.
Kristina
(This post is in lieu of Christmas cards or Happy New Year cards because I didn't get organized enough to make them.)

Walking in June

2008-07-25T20:59:00.003-07:00

Well its the end of the school year and here we are on Saturday going for a walk to the playground at Mundy Park. Katie really enjoyed the slide and the swings.

Uncle Bruce's Soccer Tournament

2008-05-30T21:56:00.002-07:00

Gibson's Grandpa's Birthday

2008-05-30T21:51:00.001-07:00

A Day In The Life Of Katie

2008-04-11T21:16:00.002-07:00

Happy Easter!

2008-03-25T10:16:00.007-07:00

I have more pictures on Jeff's camera but I wanted to post some of the ones on my camera. I hope you enjoy them!

We all went out to the farm for Easter and Katie and Auntie Catherine had fun finding easter eggs together.

Grandma and Katie went up and down the stairs a million times. I really need to get it on video because Katie can actually turn around and go down backwards on her own now. Of course someone has to be standing there just in case.

Jodie loves to make Katie laugh. She's a great cousin.

Marcus's parents came out to the farm in Mission to enjoy Easter Sunday too.

I think Papa Fritz had a good time.

This was taken just before Katie's other tooth came through.

Irene and Katie having a laugh.

Katie Plays with Michal

2008-03-02T16:39:00.002-08:00

My friend Michal has been taking care of Katie on Wednesdays so I can go to Yoga. This is what the did last week. Isn't it so cute? I'm so impressed because she doesn't do this with me.

Triple the Fun

2008-02-26T09:56:00.002-08:00

We've being going for walks with Natasha, Angus and Mark and now we've had a couple play dates. We all had a great time together although we also discovered I need to baby proof my house more.

Happy Birthday Opa!

2008-02-26T09:52:00.002-08:00

Uncle Bruce's Visit

2008-02-26T09:30:00.003-08:00

We had a lot of fun with Uncle Bruce this last weekend. We enjoyed watching the movie, "No Reservations". We had blueberry, buttermilk pancakes which were a major hit with Katie. Uncle Bruce also took care of Katie at soccer.
Thanks for the visit, Bruce.

Happy Valentine's Day

2008-02-17T22:01:00.003-08:00

Well it's been a while since I've posted but I'm going to try and get back into it because Katie is so cute right now. We had a great Valentine's day with Ladybug Grandma and things are starting to seem a bit easier.

Down Memory Lane- A Slideshow

2008-01-08T09:26:00.000-08:00

I'm moving this post to the top again because I don't think that everyone has seen it. It's the slideshow that Derrick made. Just click on the play button in the left corner.

A Great Dog

2008-01-06T11:16:00.000-08:00

I'm very sad to tell you that my sister Catherine's dog Allie passed away. Allie was Catherine's companion and best friend for 14 years. She went with Catherine to Saskatchewan during Vet School. She was Catherine's little shadow and I believe known throughout the vet school for her well behaved manner, ability to guard the truck and interest in sticks. Yes, especially sticks. I remember my mum complaining after two trips to visit my sister that her arm was sore and she couldn't figure out why until she remembered how many times she threw the stick for Allie.

Allie then made the transition to Williams Lake where she kept her status as the house dog and became an awesome family dog. Everyone who knew Allie knows how much she loved walks up past Birch Lane and having the sticks or socks thrown for her. How she loved highchairs and most of all how she loved her family. She was the best companion my sister could ask for; loyal, always happy to see her, obedient, gentle..I could go on and on. Catherine says that she was always up for a car ride to the vet clinic and she'd keep Catherine's seat warm until she got back.

Over the years more dogs were included in the Stuart/Jackson household but somehow Allie always maintained her status as top dog. As Jeff said once, "She's was a benevolent dictator". She always kept the other dogs in line with a look or a firm reminder. They all just knew not to mess with Allie.

Then a few years ago Allie got cancer and had to have a lump removed. She lost some of her ear and we were all worried about her but Allie had plenty of life left in her and she made a miraculous recovery. She made the transition to Fort St. John where this photo was taken. Allie enjoyed Agility this last summer as Catherine taught classes. Allie will be missed by all but especially Catherine, Jeff, Jeremy, Anna, Jodi, Briar, Will, Dixie and Chaos.

Christmas Katie Strikes Again

2007-12-15T10:43:00.000-08:00

Christmas Katie

2007-12-13T16:07:00.001-08:00

Aloha!

2007-12-13T16:02:00.000-08:00

Down Memory Lane

2007-12-11T22:51:00.000-08:00

Derrick made another awesome slideshow of Marcus. Thank you Derrick and thank you Chris for helping me post it.

Thank you

2007-11-22T22:11:00.000-08:00

It was nice to see so many friends and family members at the Memorial service. It felt good to know that Marcus touched so many lives and it was gratifying to see that everyone wanted to honour him. I wish I could have talked to everyone who came but unfortunately with around 300 people it wasn't possible to talk to everyone or to even talk to the people I did talk to for long enough. Thank you all for showing your support in so many different ways. They were all appreciated. Thank you to Craig and Barb for the fantastic speeches. I kept nodding and thinking how well each of you knew Marcus. Craig and family thank you for the amazing scrapbook for Katie. Carolynn and Chris thanks for many things including the gorgeous Memory box. There are so many other people to thank. Many of you contributed to Katie's RESP and that was greatly appreciated. Education was and is very important to Marcus and I and I know he would be pleased. Thank you very much.

Book Recommendation

2007-11-21T12:50:00.000-08:00

"On Grief and Grieving" by Elisabeth Kubler-Ross and David Kessler has brought me comfort. I highly recommend the book to everyone. Later on I'll probably post some of my favourite quotes.

Until We Meet Again

2007-11-14T08:13:00.001-08:00

After six months of fighting his battle with cancer Marcus passed away on Nov. 7. I was there along with my sister Catherine and his parents Irma and Fritz. I think Marcus was ready to go and he had already said his goodbyes to his family on Saturday, Nov. 3. Even when he was saying goodbye he was telling me that it was OK and that what ever happened it was OK. He felt that it all made sense to him now and that he saw the light. Shortly after that he went to the hospice and slipped into a coma.
It was very important to Marcus that he live his life with dignity and grace. I think he definitely accomplished that and I was always constantly amazed at how he did not complain and how he did not get angry. Marcus was always easy to be around and he always appreciated me and everyone around him. He made a science of always appreciating the little things in life. I can't quite believe that he is gone and I think it will take awhile to sink in. There are reminders all around me of him and I often hear his voice in my head when I go to to things.
I know many people are worried about upsetting me but I enjoy phone calls and emails. I feel lucky to have been with Marcus and I love talking about him. So don't worry about making me sad. I know he will be missed by everyone and I enjoy hearing stories about him. We are also going to have a memory box at his memorial service where people can put in memories so Katie can have them later on too.

Everyone is welcome at his memorial service at 1pm at Oakridge Lutheran Church (just in from Cambie on 41st Ave.

Happy Birthday Grandma!

2007-11-02T16:43:00.000-07:00

Here is Katie and Grandma on her 60th birthday. We enjoyed your visit Grandma. Let yourself enjoy visiting Auntie Ruth. You deserve it and try not to worry. We'll be OK.

Trick or Treat

2007-11-02T15:36:00.001-07:00

Here is Katie-bug in her adorable Ladybug costume from Auntie Ruth and Julie. Thank you!

Katelyn went to the Hope household to Trick or Treat on Hallowe'en night.

Katelyn at Music class the day after Hallowe'en.

Katelyn and Grandma the week before Hallowe'en

Katie Bonds With The Dressel-Simons-Buddens

2007-10-20T16:14:00.000-07:00

Zach, Suzy, Laura, Barb and Jay came to Vancouver for some visiting and some volleyball. Everyone one loved Katie and Suzy made us a Pumpkin and some Hallowe'en decorations.

Thanksgiving Weekend

2007-10-13T10:17:00.000-07:00

We had a Stuart family get together. Bruce and Mum came over from Gibsons. Catherine came down from Fort St. John and Grandad and Uncle Pete came from Mission to celebrate the Thanksgiving weekend. Mum made a wonderful ham dinner and Bruce and I celebrated our birthdays together. I can't believe we're 31!

Marcus's Birthday

2007-10-13T09:28:00.000-07:00

Marcus spent his birthday and Thanksgiving in the hospital switching pain medication but it was worth it because he's getting some much needed pain relief.

Irma's Birthday BBQ

2007-09-17T08:36:00.000-07:00

Irma turned 70 and her brother hosted a big birthday BBQ for her.

The big surprise was that all her sisters came, even the ones from Germany and California.

As you can see it was quite the family event.

Soccer Fans

2007-09-17T08:21:00.000-07:00

Katie and Dad came to North Van to watch me play soccer this weekend. Katie was giggling and laughing and had a great bonding time with her grandpa. It was an early start for grandpa as he had to come over on the 6:20 a.m. ferry to make the game. Thanks Grandpa we really appreciated it!

We've Been Adopted

2007-09-15T16:27:00.000-07:00

Our neighbour, Irene has adopted us and we feel so thankful and lucky. She is so good to us and I can't tell you how much we appreciate it. The list is too long to explain all the things she does but I'll give you some examples. For starters, Irene takes Indy for an hour walk every morning when she takes her dog Molson for a walk. Both Marcus and I really appreciate this because Indy has a lot of energy and the walk transforms Indy into a happy well adjusted dog. Then Irene takes care of Katie while I go for a run with Indy to de-stress and enjoy the forest in Mundy Park. This transforms Indy into an even better dog and keeps me sane, setting us all up for a great day. When I go to get Katie we visit and talk about all sorts of things. It doesn't even stop there. Sometimes Irene, or her husband George, also takes Indy for walks in the evening and tires Indy out with the Chuck it. Today Indy got to go with them to Buntzen Lake.

Katie and Indy love their time with the Hope family and I do too.

Katelyn's Baptism

2007-09-03T18:31:00.001-07:00

Katie was an angel that day and promptly fell asleep after the Baptism.

Isn't Katie lucky to have so many people who care about her? And we know there were many more family members here in thought.

A close up of Katie's gown. It was worn first by my sister Catherine for her christening, then by me for mine, and now Katie for her baptism.

It was a great day. We'd like to thank everyone for all your support, especially Katie's god parents- Jenn and Rob.

Play time in Surrey

2007-09-03T18:21:00.001-07:00

Clara and Katie having a little blanket time together.

I think Katie likes Clara's Jumparoo.

We Must Be Related

2007-08-18T19:52:00.000-07:00

Katie's all smiles these days and as you can see she loves to watch TV with her dad.

Ready to Watch Soccer?

2007-08-18T19:35:00.001-07:00

Mum came over to watch Katelyn while I had my first soccer practice. Here you see Katelyn looking cute right before we left. Katie wasn't thrilled with the car ride but she was all smiles once she got to the field.

Katie Loves Her Auntie Catherine

2007-08-18T19:03:00.000-07:00

Catherine came down for the weekend for a dog obedience camp and stayed with us. We had a great time making Katie laugh and I can't wait until she comes again.

Two Years And Counting...

2007-08-15T18:52:00.000-07:00

This week has marked our 2nd year married so I thought I'd post a few photos commemorating some of the events of our amazing week at our wedding and honeymoon in Mexico. Of course, we're still as happy together as in 2005!

Health Update

2007-08-13T14:05:00.000-07:00

As I spend greater and greater amounts of time in front of the television or in bed these days, it's less an less often I get a chance to write on the computer to you. However, this afternoon is a good afternoon so far, so I thought I'd take a moment to let you know things are coming along.

It's been about a week and a half since my third round of chemotherapy, and it seems to taken a bigger bite out of me than the first two. I'm more tired, and as a result, sleep throughout the morning. The pain and nausea are controllable with medication. No, they haven't been fun, but they are manageable. So long I can sleep through it, it's not too brutal. That in itself doesn't seem all that bad, but when you add up of the days after days of doing nothing but sleeping and watching television, you begin to miss the little things (like going outside or even checking your email) and the big things (like spending time with wife and daughter).

The weight-loss is difficult. I try to eat as much as I can, but it seems nothing really manages to convert itself into kilos. I continue to fluctuate, and when I think I'm doing well I weigh myself and see that I've lost another 5 pounds. Days later, I look in the mirror and am afraid to check but it turns out I'm holding steady. It's really a tough battle.

We still don't know what the future holds for us. I still have 3 more chemotherapy sessions booked. And a CT scan isn't scheduled until later this month, We don't yet know what the results or consequences of this scan will be -- good or bad, definitive or not.

I realize this isn't the cheeriest of updates I've ever written, but I know many of you are wondering what's been going on lately. I still love hearing from you, although it may not seem like it since I haven't' been responding as quickly as I used to.

Californication

2007-07-25T10:24:00.000-07:00

We've been having a few southern visitors in our neck of the woods these days. Last week, Kristina's Auntie Ruth and her cousin Julie arrived from California. Julie stayed for a little while, but then left after a week -- only to be replaced by her brother Jeff, also from California and his girlfriend Allison.

Some time as been spent in Gibsons, some in Mission, and of course, some in homey Coquitlam as well.

And now, even Catherine, Jeff and the rest of the Fort St. John Five have driven down to spend some quality time with us. It's just a matter of time before we get some photos though. Gotta make sure no one is sick before they come to visit!

Bruce, Julie, and Kristina

Auntie Judie, Katelyn, and Kirby

Jeff & Allison

Sign, Sign, Everywhere a Sign

2007-07-17T23:54:00.000-07:00

Do our international visitors find it confusing to stop their rental cars on our ferries? I mean really, who uses a hand brake with their foot?

OK, maybe trucks. But I still think it's a funny sign.

First Time Swimming

2007-07-16T11:31:00.000-07:00

Katelyn went swimming for her first time last night. We went to Chimo Pool which is a little pool and rec centre just down Austin Avenue from our house. Our hope was that she take to the water really quickly and easily -- perhaps a subconscious connection to her birth -- and she did. She loved it. Not once did she complain, frown, or pout. Rather, she was fascinated by just about everything: the lights, other children, the water, and so on. As a result, we all enjoyed ourselves thoroughly and we're looking forward to going countless times in the future.

Anyone want to come with us?

Agility Practice With Indy

2007-07-15T12:19:00.000-07:00

Saturday afternoons have been busy for Kristina during the last couple of months. She's been taking Indy for agility lessons in Vancouver. Although the instruction has been minimal and, some would say, sub par, the opportunity to show up weekly and use the equipment has been fun.

Soon, Catherine & Jeff will be coming to town with all of their equipment and Indy will be getting some really good runs in.

In the meantime, here's a short video of a relaxing practice from yesterday's session.

Katie's Maiden Voyage

2007-07-12T23:41:00.001-07:00

Katie had a great time flying in Dad's arms tonight. Grinning ear to ear, she loved smiling for the camera and Mom & Dad just as much fun picture taking and playing with her. The video was the most fun. Sort of.

Thursday, July 12, 2007: Flying high and grinning all the way.

Soccer Fan-atic

2007-07-12T23:32:00.001-07:00

Katie can't seem to avert her eyes from the television these days. We try to keep her from watching such mindless drivel, of course, but when there's soccer when tend to break the rules for her. And, consequently, she's become quite the little soccer fan. Watching a little World Cup with Dad may teach a few things for her soccer future.

Wednesday, July 11, 2007: Dressing for the heat.

Wednesday, July 11, 2007: She despises all the unnecessary diving and simulation.

Roll in Poo, Suffer the Consequences

2007-07-11T19:31:00.001-07:00

Indy found a nice big pile of you-know-what and decided to do what dogs do best: roll around in it. As a result, Kristina had to take matters into her own hands before Indy would be allowed safe passage back indoors. Surprisingly, despite loving water in most circumstances, Indy didn't seem to enjoy her bath.

Wednesday, July 11, 2007

Dressel Family Photo Shoot

2007-07-09T12:55:00.000-07:00

On Sunday night, we were invited to have our family photos taken by my parents' next door neighbour, so we travelled to Lacarno Beach in Vancouver to gather the clan. The final photos haven't arrived yet, but here are a few that were taken with our camera on the side.

Sunday, July 8, 2007

Sunday, July 8, 2007

Sunday, July 8, 2007: Hopefully the photographer's comes out better than this one. Too much back light.

Sunday, July 8, 2007

Milestones After Milestones

2007-07-08T20:20:00.000-07:00

Last night, we enjoyed a 85th birthday dinner for Kristina's Granddad at Milestones in Abbotsford. Dinner was great and the company was even better. When we arrived back at home, Katie proceeded to sleep and uninterrupted 8 hours! And if that wasn't a milestone in itself, she managed to roll herself over again -- but this time from her back to her front! Mind you, it's still not absolutely perfect (her forearm kind of gets in the way) but she's doing it really well now. She's making amazing strides right now and we have no doubt that she'll be crawling and sitting up soon -- and really pushing our lives to a frantic pace!

Saturday, July 7, 2007

Saturday, July 7, 2007

Saturday, July 7, 2007: Rolling over.

Thar Be Gold!

2007-07-06T13:17:00.000-07:00

Kate has miraculously discovered her thumb. Sometimes she has a hard time keeping her pacifier in on her own, so having her develop her own is a bit of a gift to us. Of course, it's still a new development, which explains her complaints in the accompanying photo. Sometimes she just can't get it to work.

Friday, July 6, 2007: Mmmm, thumb.

Friday, July 6, 2007: Waaaaa, no thumb.

U-20 World Cup & Happy Canada Day!

2007-07-01T20:55:00.000-07:00

This evening, Kristina, Katelyn and I watched an opening round game of the U-20 World Cup between Spain and Uruguay. We all had a great time. The weather was lovely, the action was great, the game ended in a spectacular fashion, and the seats were amazing (5th row, centre-line). Thankfully, we were allowed to bring our camera so we managed to get a few picture so that we could show you all the fun!

Sunday, July 1, 2007: Mom & baby at half-time.

Sunday, July 1, 2007: Dad & baby at half-time. Note the Canada Day shirt!

Sunday, July 1, 2007: Some 2nd-half action.

Sunday, July 1, 2007: Some 2nd-half action.

Sunday, July 1, 2007: Kate's enjoying her first ever World Cup Game -- and hopefully not her last!

Sunday, July 1, 2007: A tired baby after a long game!

Long Weekend Gardening

2007-06-30T16:55:00.000-07:00

Oma & Opa and Mel & Jay came to visit Saturday and help us out with some rubbish removal, gardening, and mattress moving. And during that time, Opa & I enjoyed watching hours of World Cup soccer. A bit one-sided and selfish perhaps, but hey -- you do what you can, right? :)

Oma worked on the front landscape, while Jay and Mel trucked away some rubbish, including our broken washing machine. And then, after our new mattress was delivered by Sleep Country, we tightened up our bed frame and loaded up the new bedding. Fantastic and incredibly comfortable!

Anyways, I managed to snap a couple of shots of the much improved landscaping out front, thanks to Oma's tireless gardening. the front looks a thousand times better and now I'm looking forward to adding a little garden and some spot lights to spruce up the night-time look.

Thanks everyone for all your help today!

Saturday, June 30, 2007

Saturday, June 30, 2007

Proof is in the Youtube

2007-06-27T21:39:00.000-07:00

For those of you who didn't believe our 2-and-a-bit-month old can roll over yet by photographic evidence alone, here some video to do the job.

If you're at all interested in seeing Katie at her best we encourage you to come and visit us in the morning. During the 9 to 10 o'clock hour she loves to roll around, smile and talk, and watch the sports highlights on the big screen. But then again, who doesn't?

Interesting Book/ Thank You

2007-06-26T19:01:00.000-07:00

I just bought a book titled, "Help Me Live- 20 Things People With Cancer Want You To Know" by Lori Hope. I really like how each chapter is titled with one of the 20 things. Now I know that everyone is different and this is written from a women's perspective but I thought some of them were pretty good:

Ch 1- "It's okay to say or do the 'wrong' thing."
Ch 2- "I need to know you're here for me (and if you aren't, why not.)"
Ch 3- "I like to hear success stories, not horror stories."
Ch 4- "I am terrified."
Ch 7- "I need to feel hope"
Ch 11- "I want compassion, not pity; comfort, not advice."
Ch 12- "I am more than my cancer; treat me kindly, not differently."
Ch 13- "I want you to help without my asking you to."
Ch 14- "I like to be held in your thoughts or prayers."
Ch 17- "I don't know why I got cancer, and I don't want to hear your theory."
Ch 18- "I need you to understand if I don't return your call or want to see you."
Ch 20- "I don't know if I'm cured, and bringing up my health can bring me down."

I've learned a lot just reading the titles and I want everyone to know that Marcus and I were just talking about how we have been so lucky because all of our family and friends have all been so fantastic. You've all been so supportive, and so helpful. We appreciate all the cards, emails, presents, tasty casseroles, phone calls, dog walks and visits. We really feel that we are in your thoughts and that we matter to you. We couldn't ask for more. Thank you!
Kristina

Katelyn Rolls Over

2007-06-24T12:06:00.000-07:00

Yes, it's true. We are very exited parents because when we position Katelyn, just so, she can roll from her tummy onto her back. She's also starting to make more cute little noises and she seems much happier. She also has a big smile that lights up the room.

Long Time No Post

2007-06-21T21:24:00.000-07:00

So I'd be the first to admit it's been a very long time since I last kept you up to date in our lives. The last month has been pretty much left as time for recuperation and recovery from Marcus' surgery. But the healing has gone very well, and the wound is almost entirely healed.

Yesterday was the day of the big appointment at the BC Cancer Agency. Nothing much new was mentioned that we didn't already know. It would be a lie if we said it was an enjoyable experience -- the doctors were not as positive as we are. It is a rare form of cancer which occurs primarily in older individuals. But I'm young and relatively healthy, so the prospect of chemo looks good for me. No one can really say with any certainty what might happen.

Regardless -- we're staying positive and looking forward to starting chemotherapy within the next two weeks. It's just a matter of waiting for the phone call telling us when to attend.

Afterwards, we headed back to Marcus' parents house (we stayed there the night before to make a shorter commute in the morning) and had lunch. Then we went down to Spanish Banks for a little time spend having fun with the dogs. As you can clearly see, Indy had a great time chasing the ball.

Wednesday, April 20, 2007

Wednesday, April 20, 2007

Wednesday, April 20, 2007

Wednesday, April 20, 2007: Doesn't look like a smooth landing coming...

Tough Times Getting Worse (But Better in the Long Run)

2007-05-21T14:07:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, I updated you on some unfortunate health news of mine. At that time I was diagnosed with Sclerosing Cholangitis, a chronic liver disease that results in obstructed bile ducts. Since then, some complications have arisen.

Last Sunday, I woke from a nap with insane chills and nausea. Kristina drove me to the hospital and I was assessed with a low blood pressure and a high fever (39.7°C). An infection had developed at the site of the stent inserted earlier, so a regiment of antibiotics and a host of other medications were prescribed for the week.

The following Friday, I was informed by my specialist that I would likely be released later that day or the next. However, an hour later another doctor arrived and introduced himself to me as a surgeon and said he was asked to look at me and my abdomen. Fair enough. But a short time after that a host of surgeons came in to tell me that scans, ultrasounds, and scopes has all tipped them off to a tumor nestled tightly beside my common bile duct. The head of liver, biliary and pancreatic surgery would be coming to see me that evening to inform of their "game plan".

That evening I was told of this weeks' "game plan".

Currently, no one can tell me whether the tumor is malignant or not. Presently, it is officially considered as "suspicious". Consequently, they are taking no chances. If it is indeed cancer (in this case, Cholangiocarcinoma), there is no treatment available other than surgical removal. As such, this week I will go under the knife and have half my pancreas, my bile duct, gall bladder, duodenum, and the tumor removed.

There is no chemotherapy.

Following surgery, I will recover 7-10 days in hospital, followed by further recuperation at home. Assuming a best case scenario, the long-term prognosis is excellent. And considering the facts that (1) they discovered the tumor early on; (2) the doctor is widely known as one of (if not the) best surgeons around; (3) I'm -- in the doctors words -- "the healthiest looking" patient he has seen in this situation; and (4) there is no waiting time for the operation; I've got relatively little to worry about.

I'm excited to get this operation out of the way so I can visit with all of you, get back to work, and do all the things I love.

Thank you for all of your good wishes over the last month. It's been great to hear from you all.

Rocky Point

2007-05-11T21:55:00.000-07:00

Today we joined the Niddrie Family (minus Aidan) for lunch and a walk at Port Moody's Rocky Point Park. Pajo's supplied the tastey fish & chips for lunch and we followed it up with a sunny walk along the water's edge and through the forest. Port Moody really is a lovely place to visit.

Friday, May 11, 2007: Pajoian goodness.

Friday, May 11, 2007: Off kilter.

Friday, May 11, 2007:

Friday, May 11, 2007: Two moms on Mother's Day Weekend.

Friday, May 11, 2007

Friday, May 11, 2007: ...and the dogs enjoyed themselves too.

Tough Times

2007-05-06T21:41:00.000-07:00

The first week of May was rough week.

With Kristina staying in Gibsons with her parents, I had to make an unexpected entry to the Emergency Department at Eagle Ridge Hospital early Tuesday morning. I was soon admitted and a host of doctors and nurses took a multitude of blood tests, x-rays, and ultra-sounds. As a result of the tests, I was told I needed to be transferred to Royal Columbian Hospital for further tests, specialist consultations, and procedures.

For those of you who are unaware -- which is most of you, since Kristina tells me I have a tendency to hide this kind of stuff from most people -- I've been experiencing a substantial amount of abdominal and back pain over the last two months. Well, as it turns out, I developed a troublesome little liver disease known as Sclerosing Cholangitis. It is a slow, incurable, and progressing disease, which attacks the bile ducts causing obstructions both inside and outside of the liver.

At this point, the main problem I had was with the main bile duct connecting the liver to the duodenum (small intestine); so my doctor inserted a stent to open up the duct and allow bile to pass through as it should. The bad news, as I said, is that it is a progressive disease and will continue to create additional pinches and obstructions. In end, therefore, a liver transplant will be necessary. On average, this will happen ten years from diagnosis.

Granted, this is all unexpected and unhappy news, but I'm still happy with everything else in my life. Kristina & Katelyn both give me endless happiness, and my friends and family all continue to be the wonderful people in the world. I look forward to seeing you all soon and spending some fantastic time together.

For those of you who may be interested, the doctor who put in my stent gave me a CD of the x-rays he made. Here are a couple of shots that illustrate the problem well.

Friday, May 4, 2007: Diagnosis - Before stent. (CLICK TO ENLARGE)

Friday, May 4, 2007: Treatment - Stent implanted. (CLICK TO ENLARGE)

Indy in Gibsons

2007-05-05T00:02:00.001-07:00

2007-04-27T20:15:00.000-07:00

This week, Kristina's mom came to visit. We were hoping that she might bring a little of the sunshine from the "Sunshine Coast", but no luck.

Indy is showing greater interest in Katie lately. She never touches her, but her ears are alway perked up and she will have a sniff now and then. Many friends have asked how the dogs are with her, and they are just great. They look and smell, but always hold their distance. It's very cute to see.

Ever notice how it's difficult to tell the sex of a newborn baby? Well, Craig sent us a little gift to help us combat that problem. Now no one will suffer the embarassment of labelling our daughter a boy again.

Squamish: Year 8

2007-04-22T23:11:00.000-07:00

In 2000, Kristina introduced herself to me in a Whistler nightclub during an annual soccer tournament in Squamish. In 2004, I proposed to her there. And this year, Katelyn was due to be born the same special weekend. But thanks to her well known impatience, we were able to visit Squamish once again -- this year our 8th together. Squamish is a very special place for us and we are always happy to go back and play soccer every year. Here are a few photos to commorate Katie's first trip there.

Sunday, April 22, 2007: One of Kate's few moments of conciousness.

Sunday, April 22, 2007: A happy mother...

Sunday, April 22, 2007: ... a proud father...

Sunday, April 22, 2007: ... and their awesome car.

Now That's Dog Handling!

2007-04-20T23:21:00.000-07:00

And Catherine thinks she's a good dog trainer when she can control 6 or 7 dogs at once. Let's see you have this kind of control Catherine!

WOW!

BC Ferries: Ach Du Lieber!

2007-04-20T20:01:00.000-07:00

So I'm watching the news last night and there was a report from Germany that showed BC Ferries' latest C-Class ship as it entered the water. But as it slid successfully into the ocean there was a odd addition to it's paint job. Whether it is the ship builder's logo or some other insignia, it looked awfully familiar and yet strangely inappropriate.

Since then, the BC Ferries Corporation has said that it's the international symbol for propellers. I didn't even know there was one. So, today I visited the ship builder's website and snagged some pictures.

Hmmmmm.

Yet Another Dressel Addition

2007-04-13T13:21:00.000-07:00

Another addition to our extended family arrived during the past weeks' hub-bub. Last weekend, Rob, Shannon, Jodie & Adam all said "Welcome!" to their new dog Harley.

Harley is a 6 month old Yellow Lab from Maple Ridge. Since meeting him on Sunday, Kristina and I can only say he's a great little boy -- full of energy and eager to be near people. Indy & Harley are getting along great and we look forward to arranging as many play dates as possible.

Welcome, Harley!

Naked & Famous

2007-04-09T10:39:00.000-07:00

“We had a busy weekend,” would be the understatement of the year.

This year’s Easter Weekend was full of excitement, but the biggest of all was Katelyn’s newly discovered celebrity status. First, she was featured in a two-page article on the front page of The Coquitlam Now newspaper which was then picked up by The New Westminster Record on Saturday.

And if that wasn’t enough, Shannon Patterson of CTV News read about us at her mother’s Port Coquitlam home and called to ask if she could do a story on Katelyn for Sunday night’s 6-o’clock news.

So after a two-hour interview for a two-minute story, we anxiously awaited for the televised result. We were a bit worried about what would come of it, since neither one of us felt immediately comfortable in front of the camera and we thought there must have been so much unusable material.

A special thanks has to go to Chris for making all of these memorable scrapbooking moments possible by informing The Coquitlam Now in the first place.

Packing Up & Heading Home

2007-04-05T14:05:00.000-07:00

Everything was looking good throughout the night and into the morning. Katelyn was feeding on a regular, 3-hour schedule, so Dr. Crakner discharged us first thing Thursday morning.

So on the third day after a setting out on a whirlwind adventure for life, the newest edition of The Dressel Family made way for home to get settled and to relax.

We spent our day tidying up, visiting with our neighbours, the Jiwa Family, and quietly getting accustomed to our new way of living. But most importantly, we had a good opportunity to sit down together and read through all of the emails and listen to all of the phone messages that had collected over the previous 48 hours.

All of your wishes and blessings have been extremely uplifting to read and hear. Your words of encouragement and congratulations will be carefully filed away for future enjoyment of these precious memories. Kristina & I would like to thank you all for taking the time to write to us.

And I, of course, will continue to write to you here...

New Baby, New Blog

2007-04-04T01:33:00.000-07:00

It'd be hard to imagine anyone hasn't heard yet, but our baby -- Katelyn Maria Dressel -- arrived the morning of April 3rd in the most spectacular and frightening of fashions. Since then, I've put together a new blog on our own site. It may or may not take over this site as our primary communication blog. But in the meantime I suggest to you just bookmark both and check on them from time to time.

Go here for Katelyn's Blog.

She'll melt your heart instantly.

Tuesday, April 3, 2007

Making A Splash in the World

2007-04-03T17:01:00.000-07:00

At 4:30 a.m., Kristina woke with pain. Two hours and two phone calls to the hospital later, we decided that it was time to go to the hospital and get checked out. But as I went downstairs to put the dogs away, Kristina suffered one final contraction and called me back upstairs.

Once back in the bathroom, I found Kristina sitting on the toilet trying to last through the pain. I did my best to help her through it, and suddenly there was a rush of splashing water falling into the toilet.

I was so happy thinking that her water had finally broke and that we’d be soon on our way to the hospital to deliver the baby. But as Kristina stood up in relief, I looked in the toilet and saw our helpless baby reclined in the toilet water. Eyes wide open, making soft noise, and moving her hands and arms.

From there it was “just” a matter of picking her up, giving her to Kristina to hold (who soon went into shock), as I rushed to call 911 and tie off the cord.

The paramedics and firefighters arrived soon after, who proceeded to soak every shred of linen and towel we own in blood.

Did I mention there was a lot of blood?

Anyways, everything -- EVERYTHING -- turned up aces. Katelyn is in perfect shape despite her unconventional entry (exit?) and Kristina is 100% healthy and happy.

We hope you can visit Katelyn soon.

Shooter

2007-03-27T19:52:00.000-07:00

Think Rambo's First Blood crossed with The Bourne Identity series. We went and saw Marky Mark (Mark Wahlberg) in his latest movie Shooter and Kristina & I both really liked it. Shot (pun intended) in and around the Lower Mainland, this is arguabley the best B.C. filmed movie since Sly Stallone first discovered the potential in Hope, B.C.

Go and see it!

No Puppies For You!

2007-03-24T13:08:00.000-07:00

We took Indy to the vet the other day to get spayed. While everything went well, we couldn't help but laugh at her expense. So I made a video you see can all see why.

Water Fanatic

2007-03-19T22:43:00.000-07:00

As this was our first opportunity since last summer to discover if Indy is indeed a "Water Dog", we were eager to take her to Bonniebrook Beach in Gibsons. As you can see below, she is!

Now we just have to see if she'll go off a dock.

Of course, we didn't want to lose the ball so we just threw it short at first. After two successful attempts she's going long distance!

Sunday, March 18, 2007

Sunday, March 18, 2007

Sunday, March 18, 2007: Almost one-year old and she looks all grown up!

Baby Shower

2007-03-12T20:11:00.000-07:00

The gang -- and I mean just about everyone, when I say "the gang" -- gave Kristina a wonderful baby shower this past Saturday. Guests from work, soccer, Gibsons, and family were there to wish Kristina all the best. There was a great spread of food, snacks and drink available and the guys (Seungsoo, Geoff, and I) took full advantage of said snacks.

A special thanks must go out to Denise & Seungsoo for offering up their warm home for the party, and of course, Jenny-Mac for putting it all together. Thanks guys!

Saturday, March 10, 2007

Saturday, March 10, 2007

Saturday, March 10, 2007

Saturday, March 10, 2007

For Sale

2007-03-03T19:31:00.000-08:00

Anyone want a VW Fox? Cheap, cheap. We need space in our driveway.

Details: http://members.shaw.ca/marcusdressel/Details.html

Long Term Goal

2007-03-02T22:34:00.000-08:00

I can only hope that one day -- a long time from now -- I'll be as chipper as Gladys Hardy.

Secret Diaries

2007-03-02T17:31:00.000-08:00

Excerpts from a Dog's Daily Diary:

8:00am: Dog food! My favorite thing!
9:30am: A car ride! My favorite thing!
9:40am: walk in the park! My favorite thing!
10:30am: Got rubbed and petted! My favorite thing!
12:00pm: Lunch! My favorite thing!
1:00pm: Played in the yard! My favorite thing!
3:00pm: Wagged my tail! My favorite thing!
5:00pm: Milk bones! My favorite thing!
7:00pm: Got to play ball! My favorite thing!
8:00pm: Wow! Watched TV with my master! My favorite thing!
11:00pm: Sleeping on the bed! My favorite thing!

Excerpts from a Cat's Daily Diary:

Day 683 of my captivity: My captors continue to taunt me with bizarre dangling objects. They dine lavishly on fresh meat, while the other inmates and myself are fed hash or some sort of dry nuggets. Although I make my contempt for the rations perfectly clear, I must, nevertheless, eat something in order to keep my strength up. The only thing that keeps me going is my dream of escape. In an attempt to disgust them, I once again vomit on the floor.

Today, I decapitated a mouse and dropped its headless body at their feet. I had hoped this would strike fear in their hearts, since it clearly demonstrates what I am capable of. However, they merely made condescending comments about what a "good little hunter" I am. The audacity!

There was some sort of assembly of their accomplices tonight. I was placed in solitary confinement for the duration of the event. However, I could hear the noises and smell the food. I overheard that my confinement was due to the power of "allergies." I must learn what this means and how to use it to my advantage.

Today, I was almost successful in an attempt to assassinate one of my tormentors by weaving around his feet as he was walking. I must try this again tomorrow -- but at the top of the stairs.

I am convinced that the other prisoners here are flunkies and snitches. The dog receives special privileges. He is regularly released and seems to be more than willing to return. There must be something in it for him.

The bird must be an informant. I observe her communicating with the guards regularly. I am certain that she reports my every move. The captors have arranged protective custody for her in an elevated cell, so she is safe... for now.

Daily

2007-02-28T23:06:00.001-08:00

Have you ever wondered how our home looks and sounds like at the end of the work day?

Well, we let our camera roll for a little while just to give you a small idea of what it's like when you lock up a few dogs for several hours and then let them loose.

Most Unique

2007-02-23T23:19:00.001-08:00

A couple of weeks ago, the kids at school organized a dog show to raise money for the SPCA. So I was happy to bring Kirby, Indy, and Briar out for showing. Most of the kids had already met Kirby and Indy, but Briar was a new dog for them to see. All in all, there were roughly two dozen dogs entered in the show with a variety of prizes to be won.

As soon as I saw there was a 4-month old Miniature Pincher, I knew it would be unlikely that Kirby would win Best Small Dog, but that was overshadowed by the response the four of us received for our obedience tricks. We won the Most Unique prize, but more than anything, the kids really got a kick out of Indy's ability to give hugs.

February 9, 2007: A hug from Indy.

Be Firm

2007-02-19T21:21:00.000-08:00

Since the 70's our family has chuckled about a personalized license plate with the phrase B FIRM. The letters represent not only each of our family members (Barb, Fritz, Irma, Rob, & Marcus) but also a general motto that Dad always liked to live by. And finally, after last Christmas, Mom & Dad received their long-awaited plates. Merry Christmas!

Just Think...

2007-02-18T21:44:00.000-08:00

I can't help but wonder of all the things I could have accomplished with my extra time had Mom& Dad taught me this when I was little.

Buck the System

2007-02-17T12:22:00.000-08:00

The other day, Rob and I were talk fuel economy. I commented that an average car should get rougly 10km per litre.

He said, "What? You mean 10 litres per 100km."

I proceeded to tell him that I don't do it that way. I mean really -- who cares what kind of mileage (kilometreage?) you get over 100km? I sure don't drive 100km in one shot on a regular basis, so why would I care how much gas it takes me to do it?

I do, however, watch the price of gas rise and fall on a daily basis. The price of what? The price per litre, of course!

So doesn't it make more sense to figure out how far your car goes on the $1.03 you spend for every litre? That way you can calculate how much it costs for just about everywhere you go.

$1.03 each way to work.
$2.57 to say hi to Mom & Dad.
$220 round trip to Oil & Beef Country.

Now that makes sense! So change your thinking, price out your lifestyle, and buck the auto companies' way of hiding your cost of driving.

Just a Little Better, Just a Little Lighter

2007-02-01T20:18:00.001-08:00

It's going on Thursday evening now, and I'm just begun the swtich from flu to cold -- which is an improvement to be sure.

The flu has been working overtime since Sunday when I came down with a fever, headaches, and body aches. What I had hoped would be just one day of missed work, turned into two, then three, and finally four. Naturally my appetite was lost and has only returned today, but not before losing more than a few pounds.

So next time you see me don't be shocked to see a bit of a gaunt and super-slim version of me.

Sunny Afternoon

2007-01-26T14:20:00.000-08:00

The Sun is the primary source of energy for the Earth. It powers the most basic systems and organisms, lights and heats our environment, and shapes all weather systems and climates. Although, the solar waves produced by the Sun carry very little direct heat, certain materials on Earth absorb the light energy and then release it as heat energy. This process is the central concept used in solar technology today. The Sun is truly a wonder of power and energy.

But most importantly, haven’t you noticed that everyone is just a little happier on days like today?

January 26, 2007: Sunny Days...

Friends On-Line

2007-01-23T22:45:00.000-08:00

I'm happy to announce the fact that two more friends have created their first on-line presence. On the weekend, I discovered that Carter & Jackie have begun their own blog to announce and update family friends on the goings-on of Adian & Clara. Visit them at Blog 'n Cheese.

Only a day later, Vince sent me an email to show me his new site that he created with Apple's iWeb. Cool. Vince & Amber recently moved to Edmonton and we look forward to reading and seeing more about their new life in the City of Champions. You can visit their "made with a Mac" site right here.

Keep it up guys!

European Storm

2007-01-21T10:45:00.000-08:00

Having been out of the news loop during the last several days, Dad had to tell me about the current storm raging across Europe. So, while checking the news out on CBC.com, I stummbled across this fantastic photo of a Highland Cow in Britian. And I couldn't resist posting it.

See more at http://www.cbc.ca/photogallery/world/256/.

On the Wagon

2007-01-20T12:18:00.000-08:00

At long last, we have officially joined the realm of family life. With the Fox becoming too small to handle the dogs and the prospect of a baby seat it was time to upgrade vehicles.

We're so happy with this car; it's a 1999 Volkswagen Passat Wagon. Although a brand new one was on the wish list, deep down we knew that that's not going to happen for a really long time so we found the best used one we could -- and boy! is it a nice one.

With a spotless black interior, clean exterior, advanced German engineering (for 1999), and all the bells and whistles, we hope this car will last us many years (because it'll have to!).

Come and visit us for a test drive!

January 20, 2007: Guess where Kirby is. (If you guessed: Inside, infront of the fireplace -- You're right!)

A New Niddrie

2007-01-19T12:24:00.000-08:00

Jackie & Carter had their new baby girl this morning!

At 6am, January 19th, 2007, Clara Linnea Niddrie joined this world at a healthy 7lbs 5oz.

Congratulations Jackie & Carter!

January 19, 2007: Clara's first night.

April 16, 2004: The older brother doesn't look too happy

Snowballs

2007-01-16T22:40:00.000-08:00

Our First Home Movie

2007-01-10T19:58:00.000-08:00

This iMac has turned out GREAT! It's so easy to make a movie. This first one of Adam & Jodie skating took less than a half hour. It took more time to choose the transitions and titles than it did to make it.

Tres cool.

Step One

2007-01-04T14:25:00.001-08:00

Shelves removed, stuff covered, molding taken off, and spackling all done.

Step One of the new baby room is now complete.

January 4, 2007: Don't mind the crappy PhotoStitch-job.

Lazy Bones

2007-01-03T20:13:00.000-08:00

Four girls in the house and all they do is waste their time sleeping.

December 17, 2006: On the fourth day of Christmas my true love gave to me....

Happy New Year: We're two for two

2007-01-02T21:06:00.000-08:00

Our New Year rung in at the local theatre this time around. We caught the late show of Blood Diamond and wished each other a Happy New Year as Leonardo diCaprio ran amock somewhere in Africa. It was a great, great movie to start 2007.

Blood Diamond

The next day, we meet Bruce at the ferry and joined him for a tasty Red Robin burger and the latest James Bond enstallment, Casino Royale. It is arguable the best Bond movie since Goldfinger -- and some might suggest even a touch better. Yes. It's JUST - THAT - GOOD.

Casino Royale

See you in the New Year!

Christmas Walks

2006-12-29T22:18:00.000-08:00

December 25, 2006

December 25, 2006

December 25, 2006

December 26, 2006

December 26, 2006

Christmas Day: Stuart Style

2006-12-29T21:29:00.000-08:00

On the 25th, we headed out to the farm in Mission to spend Christmas Day with the Stuart Clan. Although the Jackson Five (Catherine, Jeff, and the kids) were unable to come down, Uncle Rob managaed to come out from Toronto again and Uncle Pete also visited.

December 25, 2006: Christmas Morning with the Stuart Clan (panoramic: click to view)

December 25, 2006: Uncle Rob

December 25, 2006: Chicken Gramma & Grandpa

December 25, 2006: Pat & Bruce

December 25, 2006: Don

December 25, 2006: My (Our) new iMac!

Christmas Eve: Dressel Style

2006-12-29T20:42:00.000-08:00

As we do each 24th of December, Christmas Eve was spent with the Dressel family. With both Barb's and Rob's families in town it made for a very busy and exciting time at Oma & Opa's house.

Incidently, this was also the last Christmas Kristina & I were able to celebrate the holidays sans children. We did not take it for granted.

December 24, 2006: The Complete 2006 Dressel Lineup

December 24, 2006: Adam

December 24, 2006: Here, have a present

December 24, 2006: Shannon

December 24, 2006: Kristina & Oma

Baa-ram-ewe

2006-12-29T19:38:00.000-08:00

Indy experienced her first foray into herding recently. Just before Christmas, I was given the opportunity to take Indy to a sheep herding clinic in Hope. As soon as we arrived her ears perked up and she was completely enthralled with the other dogs doing their thing.

Since then, Indy was a little less enthusiastic about her second time in Hope yesterday. Next week we plan on going again to try and reignite her eagerness.

Visit www.downriver.org for more information about where we've been going.

December 16, 2006

December 16, 2006

December 16, 2006

December 16, 2006

December 16, 2006

Aloha Suckers

2006-12-08T22:01:00.000-08:00

For all of us losers who are stuck in the midst of winter -- and writing report cards -- the closest we'll be able to come to sunny warm weather is reading about the Stuart family's escaped down south.

Teen left with Don & Pat, Catherine and her kids on Tuesday for a short getaway to Hawaii. While they haven't been able to bridge the Pacific gap via telephone, Kristina did Skype me last night shortly after emailing me some photos of their fun so far.

For now, we can only look on and wish....

Bis' ein Dressel

2006-11-26T10:11:00.000-08:00

It's not much of a surprise, but our ultrasound results show us that -- yes, it's a Dressel.

Mauketina, Mauket Junior, Syd, or whatever you want to call it appears very healthy. The radiologist say that he, she, or it is developing very well so far. Fingers & toes are all there, the cord looks healthy, and all the major organs seem to be the right size. Amazingly, we could even see all four chambers of the heart eagerly pumping away.

November 25, 2006: Here, you can see its head on the left side looking down, its left arm held forward and its left leg sticking out like it's driving a car.

November 25, 2006: In this close-up image, you can see Syd looking up with its hand held up to its mouth -- almost as if it's sucking on its thumb.

Early to Bed,... Why Bother?

2006-11-23T03:10:00.000-08:00

Kristina and I have recently discussed and agreed, at the tail-end of long days, that we are both so exhausted that we have become grumpy and angry. For Teen, work has been filled with nothing but report cards and difficult kids, and for me, it's been nothing but Incomplete Reports and, of course, difficult kids.

We're tired.

So now, after what seems to have been an endless number of days and nights of marking, organizing, and hunting kids down for assignments, I managed to award myself the opportunity to go to bed early. 9-o'clock early.

So, pumped full of Tylenol-3 for a headache and sore back, I trundle off to bed and leave Teen do deal with the dogs. But now after a 2:15am wake up whine from Kirby, and a 45-minute toss & turn in bed, I still can't get back to Never-Neverland.

So what's the point of going to bed early? I may just as well have gone to bed at midnight and wake-up with Philip Till telling me about the state of our water supply.

Which brings me to the weather...

Pretty sucky, eh?

For anyone living outside our 778,... er... 604 area code, you'll be surprised to hear that Vancouver and the rest of the Lower Mainland is now in Week 2 or 3 (I've lost track) of 40 Days and 40 Nights.

If our zoo wasn't actually an aquarium, I'd suggest that someone had better build a boat and start packing it full of animals.

Because of all of the rain and storms, the local watersheds have suffered extreme "turbidity" (the latest catch-word) thereby resulting in a region-wide water-ban and boil-water advisory.

Luckily for most of us, the water bad ended after a little more than a day, but therre are still some ("some" meaning 1+ million) unlucky people like Mom & Dad and Rob & Shannon in Vancouver that are still living (if you can call it that) without tap water.

Well, good nig-- morning, then. I think I hear Kirby whining again.

Seeing Double

2006-11-03T14:42:00.000-08:00

Last weekend, after my game, I bumped into another Cattle Dog owner in North Van. Fortunately, I like to bring Indy along to as many games as I can, so she, too, was present for the meeting. At first, they were kind of stand-offish, but eventually it was pretty evident that they were new friends.

October 28, 2006: Indy(right) & Niko.

Time Flies When You're Having Fun...

2006-11-03T14:01:00.000-08:00

...Which isn't really the best description for the last four weeks. Four weeks? Has it really been that long?

If I may paraphrase some anonymous reader's recent comment, this is piss-poor blogging. But as my more annoying grade 8's often say to me: it's not my fault.

Life in and around the Coquitlam neighbourhood has been busy and sickly. My job with the grade 8's has left me working regular 10-12-hour days, and each Tuesday & Thursday has my night-school teaching adding on another 2-hours.

Meanwhile, Kristina has been getting the shaft on this whole pregnancy deal. She feels sick all the time, has trouble holding her meals & drinks down, and is feeling more tired than she's ever felt in her life.

Kristina is just beginning to show now, which, by the way, makes me happy since it's actually starting to seem somewhat real for me as well. Up until now, the only change I've noticed in expecting a baby is that I've ended up doing more housework. She hasn't said as much, but I imagine that's about the only thing Kristina would be able to get used to.

Last month, I had to leave Kristina to fend for herself for a few days. My grade 8's and I went on a camping trip to Loon Lake for three days. It was a good experience -- much like last spring's -- but fatigue was a big concern. From seven in the morning to eleven at night, it's virtually constant supervision of a bunch of hormonally-charged, sugar-high (they snuck their own candy up), attention-deficit 13-year olds.

I brought up some Tylenol, and that was a good thing.

In recent news, there was a incident where an Indo-Canadian, 30-year old, pregnant, elementary school teacher was found dead and burned in Delta. That alone has been a huge, disturbing, and very sad story; but last week I suffered my first, real, serious experience of worrying.

Kristina had gone out for the evening to a book-club meeting with some girlfriends from work. But after midnight, as I was getting ready for bed, she still hadn't returned home. This was very much unlike her, particularly in light of her continuous sickly feeling.

Then my mind started going on it's own... That murder victim was 30. Teen is 30.

The victim was pregnant. Kristina's pregnant.

She was a teacher. Kristina's a teacher.

And she was a elementary school teacher. Teen's an elementary school teacher!

... Beep-beep-boop-beep. Ring-ring... ring-ring. No answer.

Crap. Where is she?! Then, a few minutes later, she calls back. "I'm OK. I'm still at book-club."

This parenting thing is going to be a nightmare.

Slow & Steady Wins the Race

2006-09-29T18:10:00.000-07:00

Like The Rolling Stones once sung, "You Can't Always Get What You Want".

Replay video | Share video | Watch more videos

Hurricane Indy

2006-09-25T18:48:00.000-07:00

Only 1.5 hours before Obedience Training Level 1...

September 25, 2006: Her next poo will be self-wiping.

If She Would, I Could

2006-09-24T09:28:00.000-07:00

This morning I discovered a neat little video by a guy who took a photo every second day during his wife's pregnancy. Then he stitched them altogether and set them to music. I'd love to do the same, but Teen would never want pictures of herself like that.

Here's what I saw:

Happy Equinox

2006-09-23T18:45:00.000-07:00

As we now revolve our way in to the realm of short days, Kristina & I visited with Amber & Vince at a Langley dog park. Although Indy continues to improve on her group socialization, we've still decided that today was just the first of what is to be many weekly visits to that park.

September 23, 2006: Direct correlation -- excitement goes up, hair goes up.

September 23, 2006: Alfie

September 23, 2006: Kirby & treats -- like peanut butter & jam. Inseparable.

September 23, 2006: Diva, Alfie & Indy.

September 23, 2006: Hot dog.