Hi all,

It's been a while since we've updated our blog. 

First, Nicole's wedding.  On March 17, the girls and guys went out for their stagette and stag.  Cory (Nicole's husband) was hanging his head in the parking lot by 9:30, whereas the girls didn't get home from dancing the night away until 5am.

The wedding was wonderful.  Mike did a wonderful job with the wedding cake, it got rave reviews and the kitchen offered Mike a job.  Guests are still raving over the truffles Mike, Nicole and I made for the party favors.  I'm proud of my man, he's very talented.  We had the wedding at Fort Calgary, which was a unique place to do the wedding photos before the ceremony.  I finished the 2 bridesmaid dresses more than 24 hours in advance, and they turned out beautifully.  I've evolved.  Ten years ago, I was sewing the lace onto my wedding dress an hour before the wedding, while getting my hair done <grin>.  It was a nail biter - I threw my hat over the wall, so to speak, and cut my dress a size 12, and threw myself into my workouts and eating healthy to lose the 15 pounds required to fit into it. 

Mike lost more weight than I, he had to buy a new suit and throw his whole wardrobe out.  It's a good problem to have.  Mike is producing amazing results with his trainer - as a result of his dedication and strict attention to the coaching, he's blowing away his personal best running times.  March 17, Mike was in a 10km race and finished in 45minutes.  His next goal is to be able to run 10km in 40 minutes.  Next race is this Sunday in Red Deer, a half marathon.  I wouldn't be surprised if we take a trip to Boston next year - Mike will likely qualify by then. 

Matthew and Calvin are officially two and a half years old.  Jeez, how did that happen?  Last night, Matthew asked me 'Can I have a glass of juice please?'  From the lips of babes, is what it seems like to me.  They play really well together, and are great company for each other while Mommy makes dinner.  They love reading books with us, jumping on the trampoline, and charming everyone who comes to visit.  Every time we come home from the gym, someone in the back seat pipes up 'Where's grandma?  Where's grandpa?'  They are loved, and we are blessed.  My Mom still comes in every Thursday to care for the kids while Mike and I are working, and Mike's Dad comes over Tuesday and Wednesday mornings to play while Mike and I are working.  Aunt Nicole is a regular at our game nights, and just last Thursday babysat while Mike and I went out to a fabulous dinner at Saint Germain.  Grandma Elvira and Grandpa Peter come over for dinners and coffee, and go to the zoo with us, which is much more interesting now that the kids are excited to see and talk about the animals.  It's still a busy life, but there's a bright spot on the horizon, getting closer...

For our tenth anniversary, we're going to DisneyWorld.  Eight more sleeps, can't wait!  Grandma is taking the boys to the farm, and Mommy and Daddy are going to go play!  Mike and I don't get a lot of time together - so we've made a pact to recharge our batteries just the two of us annually.  Last year we went to Disneyland for 5 days, one of my favorite places on earth, and while it was hard to be away from the kids, it was awesome.

Life is slowing down a little to relax for the summer - I've finished teaching at the University Monday nights for the semester.  And one more major accomplishment - Mike and I have finished our Spanish Level VIII at the University, written our last exam, our certificate essay, and will be graduating with our certificate in Spanish in mid-June. 

My promotion to manager is going really well, I come home tired, but satisfied with what I'm accomplishing with the team.  I love being a manager, coordinating the team to accomplish what I can't on my own.  I had the team over for a thank you dinner in April - I started cooking at 7am and the last guest left at 10pm.  We played pool, played games on the Wii, and chatted the evening away. 

We're filling up our calendar for the summer - we're looking forward to birthday parties, continuing to host game nights on Fridays, barbecues in the park, camping with Mike's cousins and twin boys (2 months younger than ours, as luck has it), and a road trip to visit our friends Kathy and Tom and their boys Michael and Ben in Utah at Kathy's Dad's place.  We are newly made guardians to Benjamin and Michael, and that has galvanized us to start vacationing together.  I haven't even met Benjamin yet - can't wait!

Love you all, drop us a line or let's get together for a barbecue or dinner or something.