I'm REALLY bad at keeping secrets

So far, I haven't told my husband what I got him for Christmas. But it's only been 24 hours and I've got 26 days left.

Yesterday I took a long lunch break (ok, really I didn't work all morning because I was screwing around on the internet... not unlike today) so I could look up a little trip to Banff with the hubby. Since my husband works in town, out of town, here one day, gone the next... it's practically impossible to plan anything. So, needless to say, trying to book a weekend get away months in advance is pointless. However, there are 2 days a year I KNOW he will have off. Christmas day, and New Years. Christmas day my whole family will be at our house having dinner, so we couldn't just up and leave then. But New Years... oh yes, New Years, we have no plans. And New Years always sucks, and I can't drink this year since I'm El Preggarino so it would probably suck even more. Miraculously, our favourite hotel in Banff, the Delta Banff Royal Canadian Lodge is not booked for New Years! So I took the plunge and booked us 2 nights there, December 30th - January 1st in a deluxe executive suite.

This hotel is special to me because one weekend when had been dating for about 3 months we went here for one night. We got the biggest suite in the place and lived like a king and queen for that one night and it was one of the best and most memorable things in my life. We were treated so well, despite being quite young, and we really got to indulge in the turn down service, concierge, valet, and breakfast in bed. That weekend we also went horseback riding through the mountains and ate at the best restaurants. It was really just one of the most fun times we've had together, and even though it was one night, we came back feeling like we'd returned from a relaxing week long vacation.

I'm pretty sure this will be the last time we get to go anywhere or do anything just the two of us for a very long time. I can't wait. I CAN'T WAIT! I CAN'T WAIT! It's really going to be awesome and so special and relaxing and romantic.

Now the trick is to keep it a secret! I tell my husband everything, right away. Don't even give him time to guess, I just tell him. So, if I can keep my mouth shut and keep this a surprise until Christmas? It will probably just make it that more special to him. I really want to knock his socks off with this.

Only 26 more days til Christmas!

And then there was snow!

Winter has finally started to kick in around here. There is snow on the ground, I have to scrape my car windows in the morning, and I'm always wearing my winter coat. And you know what? I LOVE IT! Except scraping my windows. I totally hate scraping in the morning. I am really excited for Christmas this year. It is the first time I will be having Christmas in MY OWN home. Last year we were renting an apartment and the year before that we were renting a basement suite. This year, we have a house. Our own house. It was my goal to be able to have my whole family over for Christmas in 2008 and that goal is going to be accomplished. We're having my whole side of the family (my entire family is 12 people... including me.) over for Christmas dinner and I am so happy. I can't wait to decorate!

I had a terriffic vacation last week. I spent time visiting my mom and we had a really great time hanging out and looking at baby stuff. I've picked out the baby furniture I want and even started my registry at Babies R Us. I'm pretty excited about that! However, there's still not much on it because I'm waiting to see if I should be scanning blue or pink stuff first! While my mom and I were at Ikea, she found this huge stuffed toy elephant and insisted that it was so cute, she wasn't leaving without buying it for the baby. It was so funny! We drove around the rest of the day with my Auntie and Heffalump the elephant in the backseat. We had a good laugh about it. My mom kept asking me if I think she should move back here to be closer to me and the baby and I really didn't know what to say. She just finished completely re-doing her condo to fit her style, and she has a great job where she is now. But I miss her sooooo much! If she was here we could do yoga together and go for coffee and hang out all the time. And she'd be around to help me with the baby.... I really wish she lived here still. But I didn't tell her that because I want her to do whatever is best for her! I think once the baby is born though she might really feel compelled to move back here because I think that baby is going to become her whole world. I can't wait!

I'm feeling quite a bit better these days. I've started to get a little belly going on. I think it's almost completely obvious that I'm expecting. Next ultrasound is in two weeks to check on baby cakes and determine PINK or BLUE! I can't friggin wait.

Weekend of Christmas chores

Well this weekend is going to be one that's full of running around the city, cleaning up the house, and putting the finishing touches on all the gifts.

With only 16 days left until we go to Cuba there is lots I want to get done. I want to be able to come home from my vacation and not have a bunch of stuff to get done. Plus, next weekend is our Christmas at my mom's and I want to get everything prepared for that weekend ahead of time. I will also have to put together gifts and some sort of baking for the Christmas party I arranged at my office on Tuesday.

Lots to do! No time to talk!

Very promising...

I went to the Alexisonfire concert on Tuesday night. It was pretty good. A little bit disappointing actually. It wasn't even on my top 10 list of good concerts, but I still liked the music. It was fun to drink and party with H and Casey though. That definitely made it a good time.

Wednesday I was a bit hungover LOL. H and I were both lazy much of the day, but finally got into gear late in the afternoon to run around town picking up things I needed for my little Christmas girlfriends gathering. H actually helped me out a lot with the preparations and cooking so that was great. It ended up being a really awesome night! Our gift exchange was sweet! K made each of us a scarf which is gorgeous, as well as a little woodn box with a tiny animal inside. I got a little teeny tiny elephant, it's very cute. And from T we got engavable ID bracelets and a set of nice showergel from The Body Shop. It was great. I gave them each a matching set of pajamas with fuzzy socks. We ate tons of food, decorated sugar cookies, and added 4 pages to our scrapbook!

Today is another busy day at work for me. We are now evenly distributing mail and invoices to everyone (instead of each person getting their own section of the alphabet, some which yield more than others) so that some people that have been sick or bachlogged and get caught up. For me personally, this is creating MUCH more work, but what can you do. We are doing a big push to get everything through here before the University closes for a week at Christmas.

I also had a meeting with the lady who designed the database I've been chosen to do work on. She helped me get a query going that has a better output of what we've been looking for. After I had her help, I created my first report and printed it off and let me boss's boss take a look. She says it's very promising and gives them something to work with. So that was awesome, and really helped to relieve some of the stress I've been feeling since I've been dealing with the UT database. Things are starting to look possible. Possible-ish more like.

This weekend I'm hoping to not really have any social engagements whatsoever so that I can get lots of chores and tasks done. I have to pick up my wedding dress from the cleaning and preserving place way down in the south part of the city, as well as exchange the picture frame I had bought for my mom for Christmas because I took it out of the box to discover that it was cracked. Then I have lots of finishing Christmas gift type of stuff, as well as house cleaning to accomplish before I go to my mom's for our Christmas dinner next weekend.

Only 17 more days until H and I leave for Cuba! Wahoo!