HAPPY BIRTHDAY PETE!!!!!!!

We started at Denny's for Pete's free Grand Slam breakfast. He's loving the coffee!
Later, we went to a matinee, "Your Highness" and then afterwards we went to Boston Pizza for dinner :)

Then it was home for cake! Pete LOVES McCain Cake, so that made it easy for me :)

I found these great candles!

Enjoying his cake! ;)

Pete says that this is one of the best birthdays he's had! I bought him 3 dvd's he wanted, an engraved pen with his name on it, gift certificates for the movies, and took him to a movie and dinner :)

This past week, from Monday to Thursday, we went up to 100 Mile House, to visit Pete's parents. Pete's brother David was visiting from Calgary as well, so that was awesome. Pete's dad is very sickly, and has recently had another stroke and lost vision in his one eye. He also still has his brain tumor, and has awful side effects from that as well. He is SUCH a trooper! Always singing and laughing, telling jokes and stories :) While we were there, we ate LOTS of great German food, and sang LOTS of songs, mostly German, so I just hummed along :) It's kind of funny, Pete's mom has two spare bedroom, one with a twin bed and one with two single beds. Well, we got the room with two single beds, which was funny, because Pete and I pushed the beds together, and Pete's mom told us she didn't want "any funny business" going on! LOL!!!

Pete and his brother David, are really close, and they were being SUCH "brothers" during our visit. Lots of teasing, ear flicking, wet willies etc. :) One day when we were going into town, these deer, were grazing on the side of the road at Pete's parents church. We were able to get up really close in the SUV.

The little fawn was SO cute!

Very recently, our good, sweet, wonderful friend, Michelle, passed away from a brain aneurysm. She was 36, and left a husband and 3 kids behind. It is still such a shock. She was one of the funniest, loving, giving people, that I have ever met. Our friendship started at the Shell gas station by our home, where she worked. She was our favorite cashier. She worked afternoon shift. She ALWAYS had a smile on her face, and always had something witty to say to Pete and I. Last spring, her hubby and kids started visiting her at work, so we met the family. Michelle told us that she wanted Pete and I to come hang out with her family at THEIR house. We accepted the offer, and the rest is history. Last summer her job at the Shell ended, but our friendship just kept getting stronger and stronger. Her family lived (still does) just up the road from us, a 4 minute drive. Her kids are my friends on Facebook, and it tears my heart out, to read their status updates, since she has passed away. They miss her SO much, and they long for her, especially the two youngest. Michelle had many struggles in her life, and had a hard life, until she met and married her husband. I know that he is still in shock, as we all are, but Pete and I are going to take the family under "our wings", and look out for them, I know Michelle would have appreciated that. During the day, I find myself about to text Michelle or send her a message on Facebook, and then I realize she's gone. I feel that a really "good" part of my life is gone now. We went for coffee just 3 weeks before she died, and we laughed SO hard together, and she told me some things, from her heart, that she felt were important. In a way, I think God was preparing her, in His own way. My last memory of her, is her walking to her front door, from my car, she turned her head and said good-bye, and was laughing SO hard because she was struggling with her shopping bags but didn't want my help. I'm glad I have that last memory of her :)

We're still here :) Pete's been busy at work, and I just finished 3 weeks of double chemo. Not much happening here........well, always problems with the people upstairs, but as far as Pete and I go, we're solid :) LOVE that guy!

On January 4th, Pete and I celebrated our 3 year anniversary!!!! We celebrated by going out for dinner. Pete's brother was still here, and staying with us, so we didn't go too wild. The next day, I had a doctors appointment in Vancouver, so we went to Mongolian BBQ for dinner for supper. Our first two years together were REALLY hard, and I wasn't sure we'd make it to 3 years, but LOTS of prayers helped us get to 3 years! I am MORE in love with Pete today, than I ever have been :)

As the holidays quickly approach, we are preparing for out of town family coming! Pete's parents from 100 Mile House (6 hours from us) were NOT going to be coming for the holidays. That changed, when Pete and his brother David, offered to go and pick them up/drop them back after. David will be arriving the 17th of December, and he's staying til Jan 6th.! It looks like he will be staying with us, as my sister in laws house will be full, with my in laws there. I am trying not to stress, knowing that thrown in there will be chemo, but I guess I'll deal with that. David also will not have a vehicle when he is here, so I may end up being his chauffeur, while Pete is at work. This Saturday, is Pete's work Christmas dinner :) That will be fun! last year, he had just been with the company 4 months, but now I know most of the people that he works with, except some of the drivers. It will be a blast! I am also looking forward to my sister and her family, coming for Christmas, from Kamloops (3 hours away). We always have SO much fun together! We will have 3 days with them! YAY! So LOTS to look forward to in the next few weeks :)