For the love of the game

Hockey. Formerly this would have been posted as "For Nick's love of the game", but since meeting and marrying Nick I have come to enjoy and even love watching the game. Don't let me fool you, I wasn't exactly hard to convince since I grew up watching my Dad and brother play. But back then it was just about running around the rink playing and drinking hot chocolate. Now I actually pay attention to who's playing, and for the most part I understand everything that's going on.

Nick and I playing a friendly game with the Schow family Christmas 2007

Nick with His Uncles Ernie & Brad, and cousin Vincent after playing hockey Christmas 2008

Nick started playing hockey when he was just a little kid so I guess you could say he was raised to be a hockey player, it's in his blood. When he was little his dream was to make it to the NHL. Unfortunately that didn't quite happen, so he gets his fill from Men's League hockey, and watching his beloved Oilers play. We try to get tickets for a game once a year, because (atleast for me) it is so much funner to watch it in person!

This year Nick played in a Men's league with a bunch of his friends

When the games weren't too late at night Kay, me & Erin would come out to support our husbands

This was the second Oilers game Nick and I went to together, our first was with Tom and Ashley. For this game Melvin & Kay scored us some sweet free tickets!

Watching the team go back to the ice inbetween periods. Go Oilers!

I love Rexall Place. Pretty much any seat in the house is a great seat!

Nick and I hit up an Oilers game on our 2 year anniversary just a couple weeks ago :)

I figure a post about hockey wouldn't be complete without pictures of the injuries that come along with the sport. When Nick and I were first dating, he got high-sticked in the face and I had to take him to the emergency room for stitches in his lip. It took four and a half hours, and from that experience we learned never to go to the University Hospital. It's WAY too busy there! A month before Nick and I got married he took another hit to the face and had to get more stitches on the side of his jaw. The scar is quite visible in some of our wedding pictures... Then, about a month and a half after our wedding he got high-sticked in the face yet again, and required more stitches on the front of his chin (sure glad this one didn't happen pre-wedding!). In 7 short months, we had 3 emergency trips and 18 stitches total.

When we were first dating, this was his first set of stitches to his lip.

Pretty gross close-up.

This was after we were married, stitches set number three!

This year because Nick now has braces I finally convinced him to wear a full-cage on his helmet so his whole face is protected. He agreed with me that thousands of dollars of orthodontic work is worth protecting. And I can gladly report that he has agreed to wear it indefinitely. Whoo Hoo! Hopefully our days to the Emergency Room can be over forever.

Congrats & Happy Birthday Nick!

Happy Birthday Nicholas, I love you! Just a few days before Nick's birthday, he finished his last exams at NAIT, and graduated from the Electrical Apprenticeship program. He is officially a Journeyman Electrician, and we are so excited!!! I am so proud of him, congrats honey!

Nick's parents took us out for dinner at the Olive Garden to celebrate

Nick had wanted the Nixon "Graduate" watch, and considering the event we were celebrating, I figured it was a perfect graduation/birthday gift! (He is too spoiled...)

Nick's birthday was on March 29, so I am a couple weeks behind in getting this post up. Ohwell, I guess better late than never, right? On the 28th, Brandon & Kalli came up from Calgary to hang out with us and stay over at our house. Shay came with Kalli and I and we went shopping at West Ed for a bit, then met up with the boys for dinner at Red Robins. We came back to our place after and played games. Sunday morning we got up and had a big birthday breakfast for Nick, then Brandon & Kalli had to leave. After church Nick's parents, and sister Alysha & her boyfriend Mike came over. We had cake and icecream and just had a good time visiting. Nick's parents gave him money to get a new hockey bag, and he's pretty excited for that, he needs a new one really bad!

Brandon & Kalli - we miss you - come visit more often!

Blowing out all 27 of his candles!

Nick opening his presents....nice bed head, hey :)

Nick with his two little cousins; Jaylin & Kyla - helping him blow out the candles on his second cake

A few days after Nick's birthday we got together with a bunch of our couple friends and went bowling. The boys played on one lane, and the girls on another, but we learned that we could hold our own pretty well. A couple of us (namely me...) even beat our husband's score! Haha Nick is usually pretty good and I'm just average, but I fluked out and did really good during our second game. He was pretty peeved...

The boys: Albert, Mac, Melvin, Ben & Nick (hamming it up in front)

The girls: Shay, me, Kay, Christa and Melanie (Kay and Christa are both prego---too cute!)

I've gone to the dark side...

    For awhile now, I've been thinking of doing something more drastic with my hair than the usual cut and highlights. I wasn't really sure how different I wanted the cut to be, or how different the color, but I decided to dye it dark and cut some bangs! I haven't had bangs since about grade 9, and I've only had my hair this dark one other time in my life. I've been getting more and more used to it since I got it done on Wednesday, and I think I'm really starting to like it. Besides, it always feels so good to have a fresh cut and my hair feels so soft and smooth. Hopefully Nick's not too shocked when he sees me... 

Before and After

Reality TV: my confession...

I wish I could start off with a disclaimer saying I really don't watch very many TV shows, especially reality TV shows, but unfortunately that would have been a big fat lie. I am a reality TV junkie. I have liked Survivor since highschool and the Bachelor/ette since College, but the past couple years I have aquired a few other favorites. And by a few, I mean a TON! I guess my only saving grace is that atleast all of them are not on at the same time throughout the year. (Though some are on more that once throughout the year! haha) I will try to list them in the order of my interest.

#1 So You Think You Can Dance
I LOVE this show! I love everything about this show including but not limited to: The amazing dance moves, hearing awesome songs (many of which are new artists, or people I would never have heard of otherwise), the fact that it is the only show of quality on during the summer, Mary Murphy's laugh/cackle, Cat Deely's crazy hairdos and dresses, and being able to get together with our friends to judge the performances and replay the good ones. My favorite dance was Lacey Schwimmer and Cameron when she jumped through the air and hit his chest like a brick wall. And the one with Twitch and Katie and the door.
(note: do not confuse this love with So You Think You Can Dance Canada... I never watched it, and don't want to. I feel like Canada is being a wannabe, and I don't like the judges as much.)

#2 The Hills
I blame this on Ashley and Erin Dudley. I'm pretty sure it was the two of you who got me hooked on watching it, and for making it a reason to get together Monday nights. LC can do no wrong in my eyes, I LOVE to HATE Spencer (and Heidi for being so dumb!), and I'm slightly jealous that they get to fly in a private jet to places like Mexico (so not reality...), and go to Paris.

# 3 The Bachelor/ Bachelorette
I'm a sucker for love and all things romantic. Not that many of these relationships have actually worked out... but I always have high hopes for the couples. You'd think I would like watching the Bachelorette more since there are tons of cute guys on it, but I love the drama that a house full of girls creates. Besides, I think it's an awkward situation for the girl to have total control and finally tell the guys she loves him, so he then has the go ahead to propose to her. So I do like the Bachelor better, but this next time having Jillian there could sway my vote...
PS I still like Jason, and I don't think he's evil for having broke up with Melissa if he still thought about Molly and wanted to be with her. Guys have done way worse, it's just not on film.

# 4 The City
I love this spin off from the Hills because I love Whitney for how normal she is. She is living her dream in New York City, and I think that would be so awesome. I want to go to New York so bad, do the whole tourist thing, see some Broadway plays and shop in amazing designer stores just to see what it's like. Besides having Olivia as a new cast member is like the East Coast version of Spencer

#5 Biggest Loser
I basically decided to watch the show for the first time this year since the girls I work with watch it, and I hated to be left out of the conversations the day after it's on. And let me tell you, I love it.! How can this show NOT inspire you? I'm pretty sure I've shed a tear or two, laughed out loud, gotten annoyed at people, and been so excited (every single week) to see the results of people voted off. I can't wait for the finale. I hope it's Mike! Or Filipe or Sione. As if there were 4 Mormons on it in one season!

#6 The Amazing Race
This is also the first time I've ever watched this show, and I'm loving it too. For once, each team is eliminated, based solely on their performance. It has nothing to do with what other people think, or who they are aligned with, so I enjoy that change. And I think it would be such a cool experience to do myself. I totally wish I could go bungee jumping off a bridge in Romania (?), etc. I'm rooting for Amanda & Kris, and Margie and Luke.

#7 Survivor: Tocantins
I almost forgot to mention this show again. I love watching the challenges, and seeing the crazy things that they think up for the contestants to do. I love seeing all the scheming that everyone does (which inevitably backfires when someone else finds out). I guess you could say i'm a pretty judgemental person, but what is with Coach this season? He is so annoying, and he doesn't even realize it. Sandy was so wierd and random, and what's with the Mormon guy always stripping down to a loin cloth? Random. But I do really like Brendan, and the farm boy (JT?) I haven't actually watched much of this in the past few seasons, but I decided to give it a go this time around. Maybe I started watching it again out of habit? Regardless, I am enjoying it.


# 8 American Idol
This is actually the first time EVER that I've watched every episode. Usually I just watch the tryouts to see the people who come on and think that they are good. I really don't understand how some people honestly think they can sing. A forever mystery to me... But so far I've been enjoying the show, and I'm excited to see more of the singing now since most of the people who made the top 13 actually have talent. On a side note: I would have thrown in the towel if Tatiana would have made it. I don't think I've ever met someone so annoying as her. Ugh I'm getting aggravated right now just thinking about her. Wow, I really sound like a beast right now. Oh well, I'm just being honest. Danny Gokie is my favorite, I also really like Lil Rounds, Michael, Anoop, and Megan (but what is with her shimmy/twist/dance?).


Well, there's my random tangent about my appreciation for Reality TV. There are a couple more shows I watch occasionally, but I'm not going to even mention them because they're just embarassing, and I feel like I've already made a fool of myself. I really do have a life and real friends I actually hang out with, but with a PVR (Tivo) I can record anything and watch it when I'm bored or just want to relax. Some days there's nothing more I want to do than come home after a tiring day of work, cozy up on the couch in comfy clothes and a blanket an watch some "reality".

ANYWAYS, sorry for the massive rant. Is anybody out there a reality tv junkie like me? What are your favorite shows?

Happy Valentines Day!

I guess I would be amiss if I didn't let you all know how much I love my husband, on this the one proclaimed love day of the year. (Did that sentence even make sense? Hopefully..... it's late so at least I have an excuse...)  I love how Nick makes me laugh. We always have so much fun and he makes my life so much more enjoyable. I wouldn't know what to do without him. He is unbelievably hardworking - a tough kind of guy who knows all about cars, fixing stuff around the house and basically how to help me with whatever I need. He is also a big softy, and gets teary pretty easily like me (though he would kill me for telling you and ruining his tough-guy persona). He is really sweet and a very thoughtful person, my best friend.  He makes me a better person and is always encouraging me to follow my dreams. To help me keep a positive outlook when I'm discouraged and to realize when it's time to just let the little things go. To look at the bigger picture. I am so glad that I fell in love with him, I wouldn't trade it for the world.