Merry Christmas!

Well, another Christmas has come and gone. Matt and I traveled to Saskatoon on December 22 to spend some time with my family. The drive was long, but well worth it once we arrived. After a visit, Matt and Shane headed to Source for Sports for the 'Garner Family Discount'. Matt was able to buy some hockey skates, gloves and socks for the upcoming Veronica Palace tournament in Edmonton. On December 23, the entire extended family came over for a gift exchange, drinks and appetizers. It was great to see everyone again.

Christmas Eve found us packing up and heading 3 hours north to Nipiwan, Saskatchewan. My brother Devin is a member of the RCMP and had to work over Christmas so we went to spend the holidays with him and his fiancee, Angie (and puppy Bhody!) in their new house. A family game of poker, and some Baileys sounds like a great way to spend the holidays. Christmas morning was a mass of paper, gifts, and laughs. Matt spoiled me rotten, and I think he got everything he asked for and more.

Matt and I headed back to Saskatoon on Christmas night to break up the long 9 hour drive home. Boxing day found us on the highway rather than the stores.

Devin and Angie are coming to Calgary for a few days to visit between Christmas and New Years. We are very excited to have them, as neither of them have had the opportunity to see our new home. I believe a trip to Lake Louise for some snowboarding is going to be on the agenda. New Years will find us at home this year. We have been so busy this season travelling and socializing that we really want a quiet night at home.

The holidays this year have been amazing. Matt and I know how lucky we are to have such a supportive family, and the love that they have shown us through this past year has been incredible. We know that we can get through anything in life with families like ours supporting us. We love them all very much and cannot wait for the next time we can all be together.

Jenn

The Holiday Season

It's been awhile since our last post, so we felt an update was in order. It has been a hard few months since the loss of our baby girl Hannah. Jenn and I have tried to carry on with our lives and move forward as best as we can. During the past few months moving was difficult as Jenn lost her Grandma Garner and I lost a close friend in Colton White. Both funerals created a sense of loss for not only Grandma and Colton but for Hannah as well. We acknowledge the fact that death is inevitable, but it was hard to say goodbye to some very close people in a short time.

That being said, Jenn and I have continued to enjoy living in our new townhouse. Weekend shopping trips to Ikea and the grocery store have given us a chance to make our house a warm and welcoming place to live. We have enjoyed several guests including Jenn's parents and many friends that just feel too comfortable to leave when they visit. (Usually on weekends!)

Jenn continues to work at MyTravel but has pursued several other job opportunities of late. I respect and admire her level of commitment to her job despite the lack of job satisfaction she receives from working in the travel industry. We hope that new opportunities await for her in the new year!

I have recently been offered a new position at the Rockyview General Hospital as a nursing attendent in the operating room. I am very fortunate to be working at job that will give me an opportunity to learn and give me some experience in a hospital setting. This job will a huge asset to my career in medicine and I am excited to begin in the new year. School continues for one more semester at Mount Royal College and I will be graduating in April of 2006 before transferring to the University.

Jenn and I have booked a wonderful trip to Mexico in February of 2006. A week in the Mayan Riviera and Cancun should be a nice break from the daily routine. We are considering a wedding in destination and we will be scouting out possible locations while on holidays.

We wish all of our family and friends a wonderful holdiday season!
M&J