then we went along, got a little kitty and called him:

DR. MILO BUTTS

Dr. Butts is a character from the Shakespearean play King Henry VIII - the drama major in me couldn't resist.  The name Milo comes from a really cool old fat white dude that we met in the Bahamas.  He sold bananas and mangos on the side of the road on the island of Great Guana Cay.  Nate and I agreed that should we ever get a male kitty, we would name him after Milo.  

Our little guy was found on the fabulous website KIJIJI after many days and nights of searching.  We think he's a bit of a mix of ragdoll/ragamuffin and tabby mixed in there.  He's 8 weeks old and just teeny tiny.  I've almost stepped on him a few times and it's funny, he smells like fresh linen, cotton and dust combined.  I have always been a cat lover, in fact my first love Kassy is still alive and well at my parents place.  We didn't take her because she's treated like a princess with an extremely skitish personality and unfortunately, she never did love Nate.  However; secretly I know it would break my Dad's heart if he didn't have Kassy around their house.  

But back to Dr. BUTTS!  How can you resist a face like this one?  I mean - we knew we wanted a little sweetheart, but seriously, I didn't know they come in teddy bear.  He's the cuddliest little animal that I've ever come across.  So far, we've discovered that his likes include:  Burts Bees Lipbalm off of my lips, water from the bottom of granola cereal bowl and long naps on Nate's warm cozy lap.  His dislikes include: the air vents in the floor - he's scared of the air that comes out of them and being left alone for longer than three minutes.   

The Wonderful Wandlers

Saturday night fun with the Wandzies

One of the things that I miss most about my job at James Fowler High School is working with one of my best buddies - Alli Wandler nee Field.    

Alli (a.k.a Magic Wandz, we gave each other nicknames) is an amazing woman for so many reasons.   However, I'm especially excited to write about her in this post because she is due any day now!!! I couldn't be happier for her and her husband Dave because I know how badly they wanted to start a family.  I also happen to know that they are going to have the most beautiful children in the world, but more importantly, there is no doubt in my mind that they will raise their gorgeous offspring to be the best behaved, respectful, loving and caring kids around - because Alli and Dave both are.  We love you guys and can't wait to help you welcome pea pod into the world. 

Beautiful Allison and Pea Pod.  Month nine!!!

Chillaxin' in Mazatlan

What is it about a tropical vacation that gently leads a couple into the affections of falling in love all over again?  Is it the warmth in a sunset, or possibly the work free days that give way to deep conversation over dinner?  Possibly it's a little extra vino that nudges a bashful wife into saying a few words that don't always find their way out of her mouth in cold cowtown Calgary - 'Let's leave...now'.  I don't know exactly what that key ingredient is but I do know that Nate and I got a little taste of it for the week that we were vacationing away.

It seems that we can't stray too far from the ocean for too long.  We're both huge fans of warm weather, soft sand and sea salt spray - a wonderful trio; but when you add an all inclusive hotel set on the end of a beach, endless supplies of gourmet food and refreshments of any sort, it's heaven.  

One of the first highlights of the trip was at the airport.  Nate and I had checked our bags and were waiting in the line to be body scanned when this clerk came running up to us with two large white tickets.  He walks right up to us, hands us the tickets and says: 'I upgraded you both' and walks away.  Nothing else, no reasoning, no justification for doing it - just that.  We looked at each other in shock and just started laughing.  We'll take that!  

The next surprise came when arrived at the hotel.  Back in November when we booked our tickets, we were given the option to either go with a room with a 'garden' view or upgrade it to an ocean view for however much more money.   Nate and I agreed that a garden view would be just as nice and we could spend that 'ocean view' money on something else.  However, as we stepped into the room, both of our eyes were immediately struck by one of the most gorgeous views of the ocean I had ever seen.  We had been upgraded yet again with no reasoning behind it, no justification for the hotel upgrading us, but just doing it.  Saweet.

Another wonderful part of the trip was connecting with fellow Calgarians and making new friends.  There were three or four other couples about our age who we would see from time to time walking around the resort.  In the evenings, we would run into each other and we talked and laughed and began to develop new relationships.  We even discovered that I went to elementary school with one of the other wives!!!  Talk about a small world.  

On the last day, we were incredibly sad to be leaving such a gorgeous and relaxing place, but we agreed that we would return to the hot and humid Mexico mucho pronto.  

New Years Eve

One of the pools at night - view from our room

Gorgeous sunset

Trying to copy the Eiffel Tower picture.

Mexico '09

Christmas Shenanigans

Kassy (my kitty) is obsessed with the plastic ribbon on top of gifts and will eat it until she's sick

Paul was really really into it.

So in love.  Dad bought her a gorgeous gold necklace and she was so happy she laughed until she cried.

The Hoyda men in my life

Dad reluctantly putting on the men's facial Lancome lotion that I bought him for Christmas.  

100 bucks says he never uses it...

TED a.k.a the brain.  He likes jumping out of planes too. 

Learn more about him a few blogs back.

Paul a.k.a Paulzees (he hates this name unless I'm saying it) a.k.a Pablo, a.k.a Starbuck.

Dan a.k.a Danny a.k.a Dano a.k.a Meds - this kid has had more surgery Cher.

Mexicana Memories

OBLIVIOUS

It Takes a Small Village

One of the Hoyda family Christmas traditions has been to take an annual family photo, every, single, year.  I don't really remember the very first one and if I were to go searching among the multitude of photo albums in my parents house I could be looking until next year; however, the family photo is something that has caused our group laughter, frustration, delight, anger, and thankfully many great memories. 

The reason the 'photo' creates some of the unfavorable emotions is because all of us by nature are slightly... hmmm what is the best word here... not stubborn, not unyielding, but headstrong (except Mom, she's a saint and will go along with anything to make sure everyone is happy).  So when the photo is taken, we all have very strong opinions about why this one is good or that one is bad.  Some of the best excuses are; 'the way I'm standing looks weird' or 'the light behind my shoulder is too bright'.  It's all code for; ' I hate this one of me'.  But I think that one of the reasons the photo works out year after year is because we try to have a fun during the session - and this is the pic usually pick.

 

One of my favorite memories includes Ted's head and a suspended lamp shade.  It's strange, but for some reason, (literally three years in a row) we took a family photo where there was this suspended lamp shade that always ended up hanging overtop of Ted's head.  At the time, (1990's) we didn't have digit photos so we couldn't check the picture until it was developed and then we would discover that we took 50 shots all of which Ted looked like he had just arrived home from somewhere in Asia.  Three years in a row too! 

Then there is the time that Grandma and Grandpa Enns tried to take the photo.  Us kids were all under the age of eight or nine and our attention spans were extremely short so my parents had the idea that if two people were taking the picture, the chances and odds of capturing the group smiling together were better.  But nobody knew where to look and Grandma and Grandpa just kept shooting them.  The final picture is a classic.  We're ALL smiling in different directions which gave the effect that we were completely out of it.  

Nate and I decided to continue the tradition in our relationship and if we're blessed, with our family.  This year after the photo was shot, we discovered there was still some green painter's tape on the stairs in the background; but Mom and I were talking about it and we came to the conclusion that these little imperfections are what makes the pic 'imperfect' is actually what makes it (and us) extra special.  

Here are a few of the interesting ones getting set-up and trying to find the right lighting from this year.  Yes, it does take a small village.

Lighting check

Paul is snacking, Kate is snacking, Nate is bored, 

Mom is classy as usual, Dan doesn't care, Ted is setting it up and Dad, well...Dad is grooming.

BAHAHA!!!  Gangsta T

Ted running to make the timer

Weida Family X-mas Photo 2009

My amazing family

Dad (Don), Mom (Laurie), Dan, Ted, Paul Hoyda.

House. Updates.

Weeks 19-22

(Nov.20th - Dec 10th)

HOLY BUSY!!!

Short story long - but hey, this is a blog.

The last few weeks have been a total gong show.  I have always being extremely busy - and have always loved it; but this last stint has been especially wild.  At Central, two of our mainstage shows went up at the same time which is kinda like working two full time jobs at once.  Plus, I was teaching regular classes at the same time.  It really has made life feel like a bit of a mad house.  Thank goodness my colleagues are so amazing have been there every step of the way with support and encouragement.  I love those guys.

The Astonishing Adventures of Awesome Girl and Radical Boy and The Albright Pact had fantastic runs.  We had to cancel both Friday night performances on the 4th due to the torrential snowdump; but we made up for it the next day with four shows instead of two.  It was crazy getting that organized last minute, but it happened and the kids did so well.  I was so proud of them.

The shows received excellent reviews and responses from our audiences and we were happy to finally strike sets and begin the clean up phase on Monday.  Literally, the next day my colleague and I began a week long process of auditioning students for our upcoming musical Les Miserables.  SO EXCITING!  The Oresteia is also starting rehearsals after school everyday.  Busy busy busy.

The house is coming along too.  We finally have all of our bathrooms in working order with more and more being completed everyday.  Decorating is going to be really fun.  I'm loving our new tile in the power bathroom (pics to follow).  They have a bit of a modern/asian feel.  We (and by 'we' I mean Nate) will finish the powder bathroom with a poured concrete vanity, modern lighting and medium to dark slate gray paint.  Our master bathroom is also coming along beautifully.  The harlequin tile looks insanely stunning - I didn' t realize that it would be so gorgeous.  It was pricey, but in my opinion it totally makes the bathroom look parisian.

The basement, the two spare bedrooms upstairs, the laundry room, the flex room and all of the built-ins still have to be done.  They'll obviously be completed in the New Year which is funny because both Nate and I thought that the house would be done by the end of September maybe late October.  NOPE.  The house is certainly livable, and perhaps the extra reno weeks give me more time to consider what I want decoration wise - there's always a silver lining.  But it's funny, when people ask me how the house is coming along, I still roll my eyes.  It's coming...sigh, it's coming.

Dec 9th 2009

Happy 29th Birthday Sweetie!!!

N - Nice

 A - Athletic

   T - Totally loyal

          H - Holy hot handsome hubby

         A - absolutely not annoying

                   N - Not a needy neanderthal - thank goodness!

I love you...